The Changing of the Guard

As I watched my neighbors gravitate towards the corner school bus stop this afternoon it called to mind a changing of the guard. In eight days Peanut will matriculate from elementary school to middle school and no longer will my presence be required nor will it be desired at the corner bus stop.

I’ll miss this daily ritual. It has been a way to connect with neighbors I might not otherwise connect with. For the past three years we’ve shared a few moments in the morning and a few in the late afternoon, rain or shine.

It first hit me last August, as school started back up, when I met new neighbors at the stop. Their kids were just entering the school system. I also noted the absence of a familiar face or two from the prior year. Their kids were on the middle school circuit now.

That’s where I’ll be next year. In eight days the new guard will handed the baton and my time in the corner school bus stop community will be over. The guard changes and life goes on.