When I was a school principal, I used to watch amazing feats of stamina in the school parking lot: bleary-eyed adults opening doors for little ones (while they and whatever else was in the car poured onto the asphalt). Some parents had the “please take them” look – inevitable after a tough morning getting someone’s shoes on, breakfast eaten, etc.
Newsflash: Just so you know, most cars that have children in them are trashed – I’ve rarely seen a clean one. If your car is filled with toys, garbage, or hard-to-identify things, congratulations, you have earned your Parental Badge of Honor. I once saw a Goldfish cracker fused to a seatbelt. It had been there so long they had fused into one. If your car doesn’t sometimes smell faintly of old french fries, spilled juice or that weird mystery odor no one can locate … Do you even have kids?
Some parents clutched their coffee, sometimes without a lid, slopping all over, some were in PJs, some hadn’t slept due to a late shift. Others had that wild-eyed look of someone who’d been negotiating with a tiny terrorist over wearing socks. Nevertheless, every single parent left their child with a hug, or an “I love you,” or a “Come back! You forgot your backpack!”
Seriously, every single one of you is a HERO.
We love you, parents. Thank you for doing the hardest job in the world. And the car? Don’t worry, even though when you trade it in, it’ll be worthless. But who cares? You have the greatest kid in the world.
Chris Briggs-Hale serves as a member at large on the Board of Directors for the Pikes Peak Bulletin. The views expressed are his own and do not reflect the official position of the Pikes Peak Bulletin. He is a retired principal from Manitou Springs School District 14 and the CEO of Waterfall Learning, a leadership and instructional coaching firm serving schools nationwide.
