Childhood Memories

We got in the car and drove along on a blisteringly cold day, the rain pattering the windshield as we hummed along.

She laughed and said the windshield wipers sounded like frogs.

That's when I noticed her little sock covered foot coming through the headrest of the passenger seat beside me, her other foot crossed legged under her sock-less.

Her coat was tossed way off to the other side keeping the empty seat warm, and her new pretty pink knitted hat donned the car floor amongst the cheerios and sand.

She stayed quiet for much of the ride seemingly enjoying the rain fall as much as I.

She looked so comfortable and so content.

It was her comfort that captured my heart.

As a child growing up we didn't have a car.

Every trek to school was by foot or by bus.

Every long extended trek to see family was by train and bus.

I remember leaving the house early in the morning to wait for a bus and then a train and then another bus, we'd then visit with family for hours and then just as dark set in we'd begin the long sometimes 3 hour commute home again.

Sometimes an aunt or an uncle would drive us to the nearest train station so we'd skip the first bus leg.

I remember many a time leaning over and placing my head on my mothers lap, exhausted from the days events and at the daunting task of the long commute home. Often times we'd get on a bus while it sat in the garage before the bus even began it's route and we'd have to ride it all the way to the end, to it's last stop.

I hated those commutes, I hated that we didn't have a car, I hated waiting on buses in the cold or rain, or waiting on a platform for a train and the wind barreling down the platform.

I remember thinking how poorly made the bus shelters were if I was still so cold sitting inside of one. If they were warm they smelt like urine as they usually made a perfect shelter for a homeless person. If they were cold they never smelt like urine as even the homeless guy thought they were too cold for shelter.

I'm not sure what the experience did for me, did it make me stronger? Not sure. Did it make me appreciate a car more? Not sure.

I do know that now when I look in my rear view mirror and see her little sock-less feet behind me I think about how she'll probably never realize how lucky she is.

But then I think, should she know?