The Crossing Guard

Our two youngest children are attending a new school this year. This change requires that they need to be picked up and dropped off every day. A 10 minute commute each way.

Yesterday I got there pretty early. I was parked behind a small grey car. After some time a man got out of the car and opened the trunk. He pulled out an orange safety cone. And then he fixed a neon reflective green vest around himself.

He walked to the cross walk and placed the safety cone down in the middle of the road.
He walked back to the sidewalk.

He is the crossing guard.
 As I still had time, I thought about this man whose name I do not know. His job does not pay well.
It does not appear to be very significant.
You likely do not need specialized education to do it.

And yet,

he makes sure the kids and their parents cross the street carefully. His very presence, visible from passing cars is an added measure that they keep their speed down.

He has a very important job.
He is the crossing guard.

He guards our crossings.

And he is a reminder to me that I have also been entrusted to guard the journeys that my children take.

As they walk from child to adolescent to young adult to adult. Each crossing will need some extension of my ability to guard and protect them.

And I hope I can do it with the same grace, ease and warmth that the crossing guard on Cornell street does.