93-Year-Old Who Waves at School Bus Every Day Gets Sweet Surprise for Birthday
Neighborliness has changed over the years. Gone are the days when one person would go next door to borrow a cup of sugar — in our modern cultural climate, few people know their neighbors and few know what to do with a cup of sugar.
We don’t really sit on our front porches and wave at people passing. We don’t stop and chat as much as we used to.
Now, people rush everywhere, absorbed by work and social life but often ignoring the beautiful souls just next door.
Bonnie Linder is still well-versed in the old ways of small-town friendliness.
At the age of 93, she’s met many people and experienced a lot of life — but one experience she takes special joy in is waving at the school bus every school day morning as it passes by her house.
On a recent visit to Linder’s Iowa home, daughter Judy Zimmerman recorded an extra-special encounter.
Friday, March 13 was two days before Linder’s 93rd birthday, and she was in for a treat. She and her daughter stood out on the front porch in the morning light and waited as the bus trundled up the road.
“Barreling down the road,” Linder remarked, chuckling.
She started waving as the bus pulled in front of her property, but as she waved, the bus slowed and everyone on board shouted, “Happy birthday!”
Once the bus came to a halt and the doors opened, the driver shouted, “Happy birthday, Bonnie!”
Linder thanked them and added, “Have a great weekend!” As the bus pulled away the children all yelled bye, and a few repeated their birthday wishes.
The birthday girl was clearly thrilled, chuckling to herself.
“That would’ve been too bad to miss, wouldn’t it?” she asked as she went back indoors.
The simple joy that Linder exemplified cheered many hearts after Zimmerman posted the clip to Facebook.
“Our MOM!!!!” Zimmerman posted on Wednesday. “[Y]es indeed, the POWER of a WAVE!!! Let us share JOY!!!”
The video was also shared to the Facebook group “I grew up in Iowa,” where it’s been shared over 76,000 times.
“From Hartley Iowa earlier this morning!” Zimmerman wrote. “My mother waves to the school bus every morning and this morning we decided to step out on her porch.”
“My mother will be 93 on Sunday and it warms my heart to see this simple, yet POWERFUL Act of Kindness!”
“As I visit from Texas, know that there is and always will be a sense of LOVE for the small communities in Iowa where GOOD still exists and JOY is found!”
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