The Bus

I get to have the absolute thrill of picking our girl up from school every Monday and Friday. These are the days I don't work so I look forward to these days. As I sit in the car line I often think of how fast time has flown.

It's been about 5 1/2 weeks since school began and I get the same feeling every time that bus comes into view. I usually tear up for some crazy reason. It's not that I'm worried about her. I love the fact that the bus never leaves the Berry campus. It's simply takes her from the Cage center to the Elementary school in the morning and from the school back to the Cage center in the afternoon. She's safe.

It's just knowing she's such a big girl now. Knowing my little bitty girl is on that bus. It's the anticipation of hearing all about her day. I remember the first week lining up in the car line. I kept thinking, I must get out of the car to go get her. She won't know I'm here. She won't recognize the car. I must go up to the bus and tell her, "I'm here!" I honestly almost got out those first couple of days. The urge to open the car door was strong! Almost instinctive. But parents were instructed, for the safety of the children, to stay in the car. I was surprised that those first few times, she knew exactly what to do. The school staff had told each child how the car line would work. And evidently she had listened. Every day she got off the bus, stood where she was supposed to stand and waited until I pulled up on that yellow line. It was then, during those first days of school, that it hit me. She will never again need me for everything. Some things she can do on her own. It's hard to let go of her, but I know I must.

"Change is never easy. You fight to hold on. You fight to let go." ~ The Wonder years