“It’s sad seeing the school bus go by.”
Like a roller coaster ride with its twists, turns, ups, downs–the tar and gravel road by our house takes you through a scenic panorama of fence-lined pastures where horses flip their tails as they jaunt across the field and cows leisurely munch on lush grass. Taking pause for a moment, you can hear the faint bleating of a goat, baaing of sheep, and the rooster’s cockle-a-doodle-do as it catches on the wind.
Our house sits fairly close to the curvy country road which also happens to be a thoroughfare for the annual “School Bus Parade.” After finally adjusting, yet again, to the summer heat, I am always saddened at the appearance of the school buses. Not that school has begun; but that summer is ending. I am never quite ready to say good-bye to the long days of warm sunshine.
But alas, the buses have resumed their route as they transport youngsters to various schools in the area. Their excursion down our street is the new daily rhythm of mornings and afternoons, and with it the days grow shorter, and a wash of gray clouds arrive turning the sky completely dreary… Argh!
Fortunately, in the northwest there is typically a transition time that allows for a gradual adjustment to the absence of blue skies and sunshine. By the time winter truly sets in, I have acclimated to the changes, and the smell of hearty soups slowly simmering on the stove creates a cozy atmosphere on damp, cold, days–not “damn cold days” as my nephew once thought he heard me say at Thanksgiving, thus yielding to uproarious laughter around the table…
Even though I am temporarily saddened by the appearance of school buses going past my house, I know I will adjust. After all, there is Thanksgiving breakfast for my dear family to plan, Christmas stockings to make with my sister-in-law, Christmas cookies to bake with family and friends, and our Annual Family Christmas-Eve Cantata.
I once heard it said when considering how many children to have, “Don’t think about whether you want another child, think about how many people you want around your table for the holidays.” Five children, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, five grandchildren, family, and friends, fill my table beyond capacity and we have now moved into the “over-flow room” where the cheerful bantering continues.
With the return of the school buses, my attention has begun to shift from the joys of summer to family gatherings full of wonderful food and much laughter, and the reminder once again… I am greatly blessed.
“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
