A Simple Joy - COVID-19 Watch from Pioneer, CA - Amador

A very simple act of humanity brought me to tears this afternoon, and again as I write this. My friend Kristi told me about free lunches at the grade school. I am aware that this has been going on, (all over California), but so far we haven’t partaken. I thought it was just for kids who usually depend on school lunches (I mean my kids aren't even in school yet), but Kristi said I should try it; her kids look forward to it a couple times a week.  
 
I admit, I was looking for a break in the stay-home monotony, so I took the boys over to see if pre-kindergarden kids could partake. 
It was a drive-through. The kids stayed in the car and I, following directions, got out to ask the attendant if pre-k kids could receive a free lunch. She was standing well away from the table where a sign read, TAKE THE BAG YOU TOUCH.
 
“Of course,” she said, “they are students too.” 
 
So, I touched no other bags (though the temptation to riffle through and get the best ones was strong), and picked two random brown bag lunches, one each for my kids, with a yummy bag of Doritos on top. 
 
“Preschool kids get lunches too!” I said coming back to the car, but Bear had seen the bags in my hands, (a sack lunch to me, a treasure to him), and his face lit up with a type of joy I hadn’t seen since the stay home order was issued. This was a joy of feeling special in his community, like someone from the outside world cared for him, and loved him enough to make him a wonderful treat. 
 
And that is true. All over California, people who care about kids are making millions of sack lunches that means someone loves them, is looking forward to seeing them again, and wants them to be well until then.