Being a bus driver can be a thankless job. People can take the service I provide for granted when I show up every day, arrive at the correct time, and repeat the same task in the afternoon. This reliable service can become mundane and taken for granted.
But I sometimes get reminders of how much my effort is appreciated. I received the greatest level of appreciation ever from a grateful father at my first stop.
Today, I was serving as a spare driver for someone who called in. I was driving a mini-van on this particular route, and the kids needed to be secured in a car seat. The parents are responsible for ensuring the children are buckled in before I drive off. The father encouraged his son to get into the van, put on the seatbelt, looked at his kid, and said, “Thank you.” Then, he looked at me and said, “I love you.”
At that moment, I knew that this parent, and all the parents I see daily, truly appreciated the effort we bus drivers put into our work. My heart was touched today, unlike anyone who has ever touched me before. I was elated and filled with joy, knowing I was loved at levels greater than I could ever hope.
I drove away, still in the high of the moment of truthful expression.
Then, the kid started speaking.
And he kept on speaking.
He then asked questions and more questions.
He did not wait for answers but instead asked more questions.
For the next quarter of an hour, this boy demanded my attention until I got relief when more students came aboard.
Maybe the father did not love me in the sense that I had originally taken it. It is possible that he loved the idea of having some peace and quiet and loved that I was the means to this goal.
Maybe I am not as loved as I thought. But I know I was appreciated when I took his son to school today. I guess any level of appreciation is worth relishing.
