Everyday for five years, 93-year-old Louise Edlen waved to the bus of students from Arlington High who passed her house on their way to and from school. She became known as “the grandma in the window.”
But one September morning, grandma was nowhere to be seen. They immediately became concerned and desperately wanted to make sure that Edlen was okay. “It was kind of heartbreaking because she was always there,” seventh-grader Axtin Bandewerfhorst told KING 5.
So bus driver Carol Mitzelfeldt went to the elderly woman’s home armed with a bouquet of flowers. She told The Huffington Post, “I attached a note: ‘To the grandma in the window, we’re thinking of you. Love, the kids on bus 7 and bus driver, Carol.” After receiving the thoughtful note, Edlen’s husband Dave contacted Mitzelfeldt and explained that Louise had a stroke and was at a local rehabilitation center. The bus driver passed this message on to the students, who decided to do something special for their grandma.
“The kids and I said too bad she can’t have something to look at when she can’t be at the window. So we decided to take a picture.”
The Bus 7 students took a group photo of themselves waving out the bus’ windows, which was then attached to a foam board, signed, and delivered to Edlen.
When Edlen returned home a week ago, the students greeted her with colorful welcome signs as they cheered from their bus. “I’ve told them, ‘this could be your grandma or grandpa — or even you someday,'” said Mitzelfeldt. “‘Always treat people with kindness, and always treat people with compassion.'”
