The Kindness of a Bus Driver

I have a friend.  She is a young lady.  Not quite in the double digit ages.  I am blessed to hang out with her sometimes.  We play games, drink hot chocolate, sing, and talk mostly.  She weighs heavy on my heart because her mother is not an active part of her life and her father has never been around at all.  She has been raised by her grandmother.  God bless all you grandmas out there who have stepped up to raise little grandbabies.  So it weighs on my heart because she doesn't really have parents, but I'm noticing that it weighs on MY heart specifically.  I'm turning thirty this year.  If you do the math (she's below the age of ten), you'll notice it would be quite feasible for me to have a daughter that age.  I realize this blog post will probably send any interested male readers running for the hills.....but I.....don't.......freaking......care.    When I hang out with her, I feel all of these mother instincts kick in.  I didn't know that could just happen.  I feel my heart tearing into pieces when I want to reprimand her behavior but don't have that authority, and when I want her to crawl up in my lap and tell me the truth about tough things but we don't have that closeness.  It's a strange place to be, but wow to all you mamas out there.  Much respect.  Anyway, my little friend had a birthday recently.  The next time I hung out with her she was bubbling over to tell me this story.  She and her grandma ride the bus for transportation around this crazy city of LA.  She said that on her birthday, they waited at the bus stop through several buses for her favorite bus driver.  When she stepped on the bus, the bus driver announced to the entire bus that it was her birthday and the whole bus sang to her.  She was giddy as she told me the story.  She said, "It was all these people I didn't know.  I was so embarrassed."  All the while smiling from ear to ear.  She pulled out a tiny box and said, "And guess what he gave me.  I'll give you a hint.  It's alot of money.  Guess how much."  I just wanted to freeze frame her sweet face.  I saw in her smile and her lit up eyes that she felt a little more worthy and a little more valued than the day before.  A person in her life that at face value would seem to be nothing more than an "extra," if you will, got a few lines in this scene.  Unlike the movies though, we write the script in our lives.  We write our part anyway.  This bus driver chose to step into the spotlight and speak.  He spoke life over her by letting her know she was worthy to be remembered by remembering her name, and that her birth should be celebrated by giving a gift and leading the bus in singing to her.  That small action communicated to her heart that she has worth and value just by being exactly who she is.  All from the simple kindness of a bus driver.  She told me about all the gifts she received, but none were as impactful to her.  Never underestimate the impact you can have on a life.  I thank God for the people in my life who were/are willing to step out of the background into the spotlight and speak to me.  I wrote a song recently and the main line is, "I won't be silent. I won't keep quiet anymore."  So I'm working on speaking up.  It's worth it, guys. 

Truth, I almost typed, "You're worth it."  But then that led me to picturing myself with an over-sized wig on looking seriously into a camera lens for a Loreal commercial.  It ruined the momentum of the previous line.  I hope you'll accept a simple goodnight. G'night! :)