For most students, “Pajama Day” at school is a fun break from routine. But for Levi, a first grader at Engelhard Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky, it was a stark reminder of what he was missing. That Friday morning, Jefferson County Public Schools bus driver Larry Farrish Jr. immediately noticed that Levi wasn’t his usual cheerful self. Sensing something was wrong, he made the kind decision to help.
“I pulled up to the bus stop, and I saw Levi sitting down by himself with his head down, and it dawned on me, something is wrong,” Farrish recalled. “He’s always happy, but this particular day, he was not happy.” Seeing Levi upset, Farrish gently asked what was wrong. Through a “face full of tears,” Levi explained that he didn’t have pajamas for Pajama Day.
“It hurt me so bad,” Farrish said. “That just wasn’t my Levi, and I wanted him to have a good day. No child should have to miss out on something as small as pajama day.” After dropping Levi off at Engelhard and completing his morning bus route, Farrish decided to turn Levi’s day around. He stopped by a nearby Family Dollar and picked up a few pairs of pajamas in different sizes. He then headed back to the school and asked the front office staff to call for Levi. “I saw Levi coming down the hall, and he had a face just as happy as could be,” Farrish recalled. “It really turned the whole Friday around, for him and for me.”
Farrish told Levi that he got him some pajamas because he didn’t want him to be sad. According to Farrish, Levi’s face lit up and he hugged the pajamas tightly to his chest, showing just how much the thoughtful gesture meant to him. “I can tell Mr. Larry is nice and his heart is filled with joy,” Levi said. “I’m usually really happy, but not on Pajama Day…When he got me the pajamas, I did a happy cry.”
Farrish, who previously worked as a correctional officer and a truck driver, started driving school buses around seven years ago. He originally chose the job to allow him to have weekends and school holidays off, but the role quickly became much more than just a paycheck. Now the 35-year-old bus driver has built strong connections with his students, becoming known for his playful nature, inside jokes, and special handshakes. “They become my kids after they leave their parents,” Farrish says. “I make sure they get to and from school safe, but I also try to bring some type of joy to their lives.”
Farrish’s act of kindness attracted wide-spread attention online. Many people, including parents of kids on his route, have reached out to say how much of a difference he’s made—not just for Levi, but for so many students he’s driven over the years. “For people to actually be able to find me and reach out on behalf of such a small gesture, it made me cry,” Farrish said. “It feels good knowing I made an impact on a child’s life.”
Jefferson County Public Schools: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Source: JCPS Bus Driver’s Kind Gesture Turns a Student’s Bad Day Around
Related Articles:
Man Achieves Dream of Becoming Principal After Almost 30 Years as School Janitor
Adorable Elementary Schooler Dresses as Her Teacher on Superhero Day at School
Dogs Board a Bus To Go on Group Walks Just Like They’re Going to School