The Ultimate Wake-Up Call.
My younger daughter has had a wonderful bus driver – we feel very lucky given all of the bus drama. (I can’t say the same for my older daughter’s bus experience.)
At the beginning of the year, he gave us his phone number to check in with him if he’s running late. One day my daughter forgot her violin on the bus, I texted him to let him know and said we’d grab it the next day. Instead, he came back to the neighborhood and brought it to our front door. He drops kids off at their homes when it’s raining instead of making them walk. He knows them by name and asks about them if they aren’t all at the bus stop. He is just that dedicated. And we let him know how much we appreciate him.
He has never missed a day – even when they give him extra bus routes to do. Until the very end of the year.
One week, we noticed he wasn’t looking well. He seemed more tired and then we noticed a fall risk bracelet on his wrist. Concerned, another mom asked him if he was alright and he said he had been at the VA the night before. Still, he was here picking up our kids that morning to get them to school.
At afternoon drop off, he really didn’t look well. He dropped our kids off and we started to head home, following the bus. As I turned the corner, the bus was pulled over and stopped. Another mom had pulled over, too and I saw kids waving us over. She rushed over and called another mom to call 911. I quickly pulled over and ran over and called the school. The bus was still full of children.
Was He Too Committed?
He had fallen off of his seat and couldn’t get up. Paramedics were on the way and he was taken to the hospital. While we were waiting with him and the children, he shared his discharge papers from earlier in the week – It turns out, he had been discharged at 3am that same day. Yet, he still showed up to work that same morning and afternoon. He said he didn’t want to let anyone down.
We were counting our blessings that he was still on our neighborhood and not on a big road and that he had enough sense to pull over when something wasn’t right. Thank goodness the children waved over adults. They were all so well behaved in the situation.
Staying true to himself, he kept saying how he was just worried about the kids.
He was admitted to the hospital that evening. We’ve since received updates that he is doing ok. I just hope he takes care of himself now after this wake-up call.
I’m sharing this story because it’s important to realize that despite your best intentions and efforts, you can’t continue to take care of others if you don’t take care of yourself.
🗣 YOU CAN’T TAKE CARE OF OTHERS, IF YOU DON’T TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
Our bus driver just didn’t want to let us or the kids down. He has a big heart and the best of intentions — for others. He put himself and his health very last.
There are countless examples like this and for some reason, we know it’s important, yet we still put ourselves last until something happens where you no longer have the luxury of choice.
You’re worth it. You deserve to feel good, a break, a nap. You deserve all of the benefits that come with taking care of yourself. It’s not out there for an elite few – it’s there for the taking.
How are you nourishing your mind + body this weekend? How about next week?
Think about it, do something different.
