Everyone Needs a Crossing Guard

When my daughter started school, we lived on a busy street with her school directly across from our house.  On that first day of school, for reasons unknown to me, my then husband went to a different intersection to cross the road than the one with the crossing guard posted.  After school we both went to pick her up and crossed with the guard who scolded us terribly for what happened in the morning.  She said that crossing with the guard is something our daughter needed to do every single time, that the purpose of the guard is to ensure all students cross safely to school every day.   I have since met many crossing guards doing their work and I have noticed that they help not only students, but everyone cross when they are on duty.   Many times, I have been waiting in my car and noticed adults, seniors, walking groups all graciously accepting the extra safety of the bright vested guard and their stop sign as they cross the street.   Understandably, these walkers will face the next road crossing alone as they keep on walking.   A crossing guard walks back and forth for more than an hour on the hard pavement twice each day to ensure safe crossing, the ensure that the tide of vehicles is held back from the walkers crossing, to offer safe passage to each and every student crossing.  I believe if we think about, we can also come up with examples when something we are doing, learning, focused on, achieving, pursuing and going through could use a guard.  Someone who just meets us in the intersection, in the middle of our efforts and shines a light to keep others back.  Maybe to keep the criticisms back, to hold back the other stressors, to deliver the bologna sandwich.  And those same guards will offer that to all that they see need it.  Look around today to identify your guards, your supporters, your sandwich deliverers.  I know you will find them, doing what they can to help and ready to scold you if you try to cross the street at another place.  These people know that maybe we have to cross the street alone in just another block, but this time, right here, right now, they are here to help, with our without the high visibility vest.