The Recycling Truck

Even since Miss E was a baby, our recycling truck has come at 7:30 every Tuesday morning. This is usually right in the middle of breakfast and the kids always, every week, stop eating, run to the window and watch the truck pick up our recycling. Until about a month ago, we had the same driver for years. He saw me stand there and hold a baby Miss E up to see the truck, then she could do it on her own, then I was standing next to her holding an infant, and then he could do it on his own. The driver would wave to them, toot the horn of the truck and smile. It's people like this that just make the world a sunnier place. He was always cheerful, and never forgot to look for the kids. As they got older and could stand by themselves he would gesture to me about how big they were getting, and still, every week, the kids were thrilled that he would wave and toot the horn for him.

Only one time, in over 5 years, have I ever spoken to him. About 3 years ago,  I happened to be out getting the paper as he drove up and we chatted for a few minutes. He was sweet, kind, obviously loved kids and told me how happy he was that they were there to see him every Tuesday morning. I thanked him for taking the time to wave to them, wished him a good day and headed back inside. As the kids have gotten older, I have stopped running to the window with them since they don't need help anymore. A few months ago I noticed that we now have a new driver. He doesn't honk and wave as much. I feel kind of bad that I never even learned the last guys name. He watched my kids grow from babies to kids and did a kindness for them every week, but I never learned his name or really thanked him other than that one time. As bad as I feel about that, it reminds me to be kind whenever possible because you never know how much a kindness is appreciated.