The connection between smiles and shoes

Every weekday morning I drive my youngest son to school.  I am really enjoying this, because he will be driving soon and I will be closing another chapter in my life and will be another step removed from my sons actually needing anything from me other than money.  But that's another story.  As I drive away from the school each day I notice a group of elementary aged kids gathered at a bus stop.  There are two of the cutest girls, both probably fifth or sixth grade, who I have been watching at the stop every morning.  They are obviously good friends, and it has actually become part of my daily ritual to watch the joy on their faces as they greet each other and talk intensely about subjects I know nothing about.  As the months passed by I was amazed at how these two girls always seemed to engage in this ritual of talking and smiling and laughing, no matter how cold the weather, they were always just full of some unusual glee for this time in the morning.


Then one day I noticed that the taller of the two girls was standing at her appointed time and place and there was a peculiar somber look on her face.  I was shocked...for months during my drive-by ritual I had come to draw from this little girl and her apparent joy of just living in a new day.  All of a sudden it was gone.  Then it occurred to me; she not only looked different in her face, but many things about her were very different. 

She had hair extensions, high heels and designer jeans.

She had become self-aware.

She had crossed over.

None of the other girls, including her good friend, at the bus stop dressed like this.  They all had on cute little sneakers and t-shirts and such.  They all dressed like sixth graders.  But not this one.

In dressing like a woman she had apparently gained something, but she lost was I thought was the most beautiful thing about her, which was her child-like smile.

What seemed ironic was that I was one of the "adults" driving by in my car to go off and make a living in the world of adult responsibility while these kids got to live in the wonderful world of kids.  (Maybe kids stand at the bus stop and long for the days when they can drive and have a real job, while adults drive by the kids and long for the days of waiting for the school bus?) 

Her apparent lack of joy just didn't fit. Somehow thing seemed to go terribly wrong with this little one.  Is she okay?  What's going on in her life that would make this happen? 

Don't get me wrong, I think there comes a day when all of us "grow up" and take on a different look.  I would never want to impose my values on a total stranger and cast judgement on them for how they dress.  I'm just saying it was ironic that the day this joyful little girl decided to change her look she lost her smile.

And maybe that is some of all our stories, especially those of us with an over-developed sense of what others think of us?