My Gifted Daughter Bears Her Heart

Highlighting my daughter's talent. She wrote this on the first days of her new job as bus assistant in our district. We share kiddos once again, which is such an amazing thing. When we were Young Life leaders together when she was in high school I felt our impact on girl's lives was greater as we lead side by side. Now students I have in my class all day walk onto her bus after school and she continues with the social skills I am teaching on their ride home. So many are Autistic and need encouragement for the basic keys to communication like eye contact and thanking someone for service.
With her own cerebral palsy, Natalie rode the short bus for preschool 18 years ago. Now she is loading wheelchairs and enjoying children who have more physical and emotional struggles than she does.
I love what she wrote, how she wrote it and especially her enormous heart for these students. So I had to share my love, my daughter's heart with you.

my new job

I'm late before I even open my eyes

coffee sounds necessary, possibly a bagel

high hopes of magic money in my account as I order my food

declined 

the sandwich artists give me my much desired food even though I paid only for brown water

I don't want your bagel charity, but I'll take it 

late

work...more like zen 

the school bus is serene 

I'm left alone with the rattles and rumbles of this yellow machine 

these roads know me well

we hug the curves and I know just where I stand in the universe

even with my eyes averted down to my most recent love affair of a book

I almost make it a game..."feel inside where you are and then look up to see if you're right"

I am

Engrossed in the adventure in my hands that's pressed between trees, my eyes burn with the promise of tears

tales of siblings is the catalyst 

The breaks whine as we make a halt at the place I used to call school 

I wipe a tear, glancing in the over sized rear view mirror to determine whether the bus driver witnessed my emotion 

safe

as the children fill their seats, my perspective morphs 

book shut along with my emotions 

these children

special needs?

I need them more than they need me 

I make animal noises for a boy in his wheel chair 

This makes him wild, limbs punching the air with joy

never have I heard such a pure laugh 

new tears

I laugh so hard I cry 

I see him

this should be me

doctor ordered.

he is the happiest 

and I know I would be too

bound by a chair or not,we still sing

we sing

we are joyful people

and I am one of them again

stubborn buckles, chair lifts and getting sneezed on

I am alive

children disappear to leave me

again with book, with my silence 

In Him,

Joyful
11-17-11