What better time to spread the pie love than the week of Thanksgiving?  In addition to choosing someone deliberately, I also kept some pie in my car and handed it out when nice people crossed my path.

For some reason, I get really nervous before giving people pie. I have stage fright and feel like I need to rehearse.  “Excuse me, you are really nice and deserve some pie.”  No, too random.  “Hello, I have a strange obsession making pie and give it to people who are nice.  Want some?”  Nope, too I-laced-your-pie-with-poison.  “Hi, I love pie so much that I bake it all the time.  Therefore, I have a pie surplus and need to give it away.  You deserve some pie today.”  Close, but screams I don’t have a life after the kids go to bed, so I make pie.

Despite my nervousness, somehow I find the right thing to say and am always glad I did it.  People are genuinely happy to have some unexpected pie enter their life.  And their reactions remind me how little we thank those around us who make our days a little easier, a little happier and a little brighter.

Pie it Forward: Miss Lena

When I sent my son Elliot off for his first day of school, I didn’t realize what an important part of the day his bus driver, Miss Lena would be.

Miss Lena has been driving a bus for 14 years and has come to know our neighborhood like a second family.  She’s quick to point out that she likes the challenge of our neighborhood – the hills, sharp curves and narrow roads keep her on her toes.  But she’s even quicker to point out how much she loves the children.  And the children love her because she is just so nurturing and kind. Apparently, Elliot went for a spell where he left his lunch box on the bus every morning.  And every morning, Miss Lena would drive it back to the school for him.  She gave him a clip so that he could attach his lunch box to his book bag.  Being new to all of this, I didn’t even know they sold clips for that.

On the day that I had Elliot pinned on the concrete shoving shoes on his feet while he howled in protest, Miss Lena’s smile and understanding wave calmed what had been an absolute rock bottom morning.  Elliot was crying, I was crying – it was a scene I’m sure she has seen played out hundreds of times by overtired parents and kindergartners.  But she greeted him with that same warmth that made us both feel that everything would be ok.

I have come to love the ritual that Elliot and I share each morning.  I grab my coffee as he grabs his lunchbox and we wait outside until the bus rounds the corner.  A quick kiss and a “have a good day” and he’s off, bounding to the end of the driveway, eager for Miss Lena to wave him safely onto the bus.  I stand sipping my coffee, watching him make his way to his seat.  The stop sign retreats to the side of the bus and Miss Lena gives me a friendly hello. As the bus pulls away, Elliot’s tiny face stares back at me from his window and we get one last wave.  I turn away and smile knowing that he’s safe thanks to Miss Lena.

And for that, you deserve pie everyday, Miss Lena.

xoxo, The Pie Eyed Piper