School Bus Stop

Usually morning here is a chaotic marvel, extremely happy yet way too disordered. This is the bus stop where atleast 20 kids from our community ride their bus to go to school every morning.

It used to be right on the main road with lots of cars and utility vehicles and everything else moving a lot close to these kids. Every morning the road was crowded with people rushing to their jobs and on the side walk parents standing behind the queue made by kids waiting for the bus. All of them used to stand at their designated place in the line with one very nice kid making sure that the order is maintained. Sometimes one of the kids will just forget that order and will try to do something more appropriate for the kids that age (monkeying around in common language); and the parents will skip a beat as the road was so close. I have witnessed some nervous parents screaming at their baby for breaking the order of the line obviously out of concern for the safety of their child.

Finally after frequent deliberation and consistent requests the stop was moved to the gate of the community. Our own part of the road; where no cars or vehicles zip through as that is the small side road only for the people living in our community to go in and out of the community. In addition to that the circle at the end of the road provided a sizable grassy area for the kids. The 1^st day stop was shifted to that spot; the parents in chorus let go a sigh of relief and the kids following that chorus screamed in ecstasy knowing that they have got the morning freedom they were always dreaming for.

Now every morning till the bus arrives; giggling, running around, kicking the leaves, playing tag and above all being happy is what the kids do. Though it all appears chaotic, but still it is so beautiful to watch. And I am sure it makes the day for most of us parents.

Last few days have been extremely cold with mercury dipping way below freezing especially in the morning; so every child comes dressed in thick jackets and caps and mittens. The running around is slower than usual. The kids, no matter how active they are; have started listening to the nature and responding to it too. 

Today was way extremely cold in the morning; even compared to last few days. The temperature dipped to 16 degrees below freezing if one counts the wind chill factor (well that is around 3 degree Fahrenheit for those of you who do not follow the metric scale). I was worried about my son and all the other kids at the stop who were to stand in that cold waiting for the bus. When I reached the stop I saw this wonderful sight, all the kids were there, no one was running around. Their usual companion; the soccer ball; was missing. They all huddled up in a corner standing very close to each other chatting, laughing, and feeling the warmth from each other.

Kids; aged from 5 years to 11 years. Kids; coming from different homes. Kids; who have been asked to follow different faiths and religious practices by their parents. Kids; belonging to different parts of the world. Kids; Coming from different races, different skin color, different genders and different everything. All huddled together, helping each other to stand against the cold weather. No one taught them to do that. They all knew that a difficult situation like this weather can be faced by staying together.  They all learnt this, without being taught, directly from the nature.

 And there it was; the vision for the future of world for me. They are what the future can be for this World unless we grown-ups corrupt their minds and teach them to be different. Something that had mesmerized me with its beauty just a few minutes back startled me with the powerful message it was conveying.

“Why do kids always have to listen to parents and learn from them?” My son had asked me many a times in the past, especially after being denied too many candies. “Because parents are older than kids and know more things than them, but you can teach me things that you know and I don’t” had always been my answer. Always thinking that it might be many years later when he will really have something to teach me. But today I stand corrected; he and his friends have taught me something great today.

God Bless you kids; if you always stay how you are now then this World will be a very beautiful place. And thanks for making my day start with so much Hope.