Having a routine is important, and when it involves being friendly and warm to your neighbours – it’s something that should be totally encouraged.
For one school bus in Arlington, Washington, every day on their drive home, an elderly woman waves to them from her window.
Known locally by the kids and bus driver Carol Mitzelfeldt as ‘the grandma in the window’, there was understandably some concern when one day the students realised their grandma’s window was empty.
Mitzelfeldt told the
Huffington Post that her and her students had spent five years waving at the elderly woman, so grew concerned when she wasn’t at her usual spot. Taking a bouquet of flowers, the bus driver stopped off to check on their friend from afar:
“I attached a note: 'To the grandma in the window, we’re thinking of you. Love, the kids on bus 7 and bus driver, Carol.”
Speaking to the grandma’s husband Dave, Carol learned that their friend’s name is Louise Edlen, and she had suffered a stroke.
She was now staying at a local rehabilitation home.
The kids decided they wanted to wish their friend a get well soon message that might cheer her up every day – so posed for a photo of themselves waving out the windows of the bus as Edlen was custom to seeing:
“The kids and I said too bad she can’t have something to look at when she can’t be at the window. So we decided to take a picture.”
Presenting the 93-year old with her gift in hospital, Edlen told Carol that she loved the children and they mean a lot to her.
So when Edlen returned home last week, the school bus turned up one more time with a pretty special message – welcoming their ‘grandma in the window’ home.
Explaining why she reached out to their friend, Mitzelfeld said:
"I’ve told them, 'this could be your grandma or grandpa - or even you someday.
"'Always treat people with kindness, and always treat people with compassion.'"