Waiting for the Train

                                                           

There is this little girl that I’ve been babysitting for since she was three months old. Isa is an amazing singer and was featured in an earlier blog of mine here. Now that Isa goes to school full time, I watch her little brother.

                                                       

This past winter was too harsh to go wait for the train, but the other week Isa and I were lucky enough to reach the center of town just in time to wave to the conductor. We don’t know the train’s schedule and most of the time, we miss the train.

                                                           

Once or twice a week, Isa and I make the journey to the center of town with snacks in hand. While we sit under the shade of that old gazebo we chat about everything her little five year old mind can think of.

                                                                 

I intend to contact the Mayor to see if he knows the train’s schedule because when you love trains as much as Isa and I do, it’s no fun missing them. On the bright side, waiting for the train to pass gives me time to chat with this little girl, who has become like family to me. We talk about nature, about planets, about her school project for that week. We talk about everything and, sometimes we sing songs while we wait for that distant whistle that warns of the approaching train.

I like waiting for the train, even when it doesn’t come. It is during these quiet moments shared with this amazing little child that I feel at peace with the world. I’m not rushing to finish a writing deadline, I’m not thinking about household chores or doctor’s appointments or family drama.


                                                                                                                           

I’m waiting for a train that may or may not pass. I’m learning, or should I say re-learning what it means to be a child. It feels good to sit and chat about the many possibilities that seem possible to a child. When you’re young the world is yours to command. Train schedules, on the other hand, or not, but that’s okay for now. When you’re a child, the excitement lies in the hope that the train will be on time.