This Reminds Me

Archive for May 29th, 2008

Our school year is almost over.  Never have I been more glad to see one end, largely because of the stress of coordinating a carpool to our middle school when we lost bus service.  Keith and I fought the loss of bus service with the school board, but “The Man” won this battle

Hannah on the school web site, making the morning announcements.  I’ve started working on transportation for her next year and I think I’ve got it handled – thanks, in part, to Rachel’s being able to drive.

With both of us working downtown, how exactly were we supposed to get two middle schoolers w/30-lb. backpacks to and from a school 1.86 mi. up and down hill on a too-narrow sidewalk edging a way-too-fast road?  I pinged neighbors, tried to hire a high school driver, offered to trade stay-home moms food and babysitting for rides, etc.  Nothing was working, and I was at wit’s end as I hurried into the elementary school open house early last September.  I ran into an old friend – Linda – recently retired from AT&T who said, “You look upset!”  And it all poured out.   Linda said she could help.  And I said, ‘Linda.  You don’t want to do that.  You have your own first-grader.  And you should be enjoying retirement.”  She insisted.

I couldn’t work out consistent transportation, so, each week I hobbled together a car pool schedule from church friends, neighbors, Keith, me….and Linda.    Every week, I’d ping her to ask, “How are you looking for next week.”  And she’d tell me the days she could and couldn’t help.

So what can I do for Linda, who has put herself out week after week for my family?  Who relieved so much of my stress?  Who has been nothing but cheerful and helpful, constantly reassuring me that “she understands?”

Lois – featured on the school website at the 8th grade dance.  She’s had a terrific middle school experience with honors classes, awards, choir achievements, etc.  Next year – on to high school!

Linda wants nothing from me.   I can’t “pay” her for her time – her gas – her car depreciation.

I can’t “pay  Linda.”  But I can “pay it forward.”  I never read the “Pay It Foward” book or saw the movie, but I understand the concept.  I think I heard it first doing my own bible memory work as child,“Love your neighbor as yourself.” And that whole “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” thing.

So often, the girls and I have talked about being “Jesus with skin on.”  I’m thinking Linda has been “Jesus in the black Suburban.”

Need something from me?  This is a good time to ask.  Because I’ve had a whole school year example to remind me to pay it forward.