As I started to write this article, it came to mind how many of my blogs have been inspired by either the bus or the rain. I am convinced that these two things exist if not for any other reason but to teach me valuable lessons in humility, patience, and perseverance. So, it should not come as a surprise that I am once again writing about another life lesson that was poured upon me this past week.

Last week was a disturbing time for our nation after bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. It is one of those moments that make you ask, “What is this world coming to?” And for me personally, it causes doubts in human decency to keep popping into my head. I was just about to lose all hope when I had an experience that reminded me that you cannot completely write off society based on the actions of a few disturbed people.

My story starts with, of course, my bus ride home. It was 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, and my daughter had just dropped off my granddaughter at my work. She needed someone to watch her that evening, so Lyla was just going to ride home on the bus with me. Fortunately, the bus arrived on schedule and we hopped right on. My granddaughter loves riding the bus. I am sure one reason is because she does not have to be in a car seat. She likes the idea of “no restraints.”

I was enjoying my ride too, soaking up the infectious joy of my granddaughter. It is amazing how a simple bus ride can turn into quite an adventure and an educational experience for a toddler. She was curious about everything–the people, how the doors open and shut, why we had to put money into the money dispenser, the different smells (some not so pleasant), and of course, the bell ringing device. She could hardly wait for her turn to ring that bell.

My focus was all on her, answering her questions as best as I could hoping my words made sense to a two year old. However, as we neared our stop, I looked up and noticed us being surrounded by darkening clouds. Undoubtedly, the rain was coming soon, but I prayed we would make it home before the storm hit, especially since I forgot my umbrella that day. We made it to our stop and still no rain. I was hopeful. But then, just as our feet hit the pavement, the skies opened up, and the rain gushed down like a dam breaking loose. To make things worst, the wind decided to join in, increasing its wind gust to the point where walking against it was nearly impossible. I immediately picked up my granddaughter and threw my coat over the top of her. I started to run. Actually, it was probably more like a trot considering I was loaded down with a child, purse, and diaper bag.

Now, I am at the part of the story at which my faith in humanity was restored. Not one, not two, but three people stopped in the middle of busy Glenway Avenue, ignoring beeping horns and flicking fingers, to offer us a ride. Each time, I was torn as to what to do. I so appreciated their kindness, but at the same time, we are always instructing my granddaughter never to go with strangers. My dilemma was: Do I break the rule and hop in or keep fighting the elements? We did not have much further to go to my house and there was no lightning threatening our safety, so I decided, with gratitude, to politely decline their offer.

I hope my declining will not discourage these people from reaching out and helping others in the future. The more I thought about what they did–how they were willing to take the time out of their busy schedule, to put their own agenda on hold, and possibly put themselves at risk to help me–really lifted my spirits. It proved to me that even when the world around us looks grim and evil, goodness does exist in the heart of some. I was in the right place at the right time to be a recipient of that goodness.

At the end of the day, I once again found myself being thankful for the bus and for the rain that I experience as I travel back and forth to my job at HG Logistics LLC, a third party logistics company and freight transportation broker located in Cincinnati, Ohio. I actually now look forward to both, rain and bus, because I know, more than likely, there is a lesson somewhere in there to be learned.

p.s.–My granddaughter found the whole incident to be quite hilarious. She loved running in the rain. She even asked if we could do it again.