The crossing guard knows every kid's birthday

Dear Editor,

Mr. Jackson has worked the crosswalk on 38th Street for eleven years. He keeps a notebook with birthdays. When it is yours, he has a sticker and a fist bump waiting.

My twins think he is famous. In a way, he is. In a neighborhood where a lot of parents work doubles, Mr. Jackson is a constant. He remembers who plays soccer and who is afraid of dogs. He makes ordinary mornings feel safe.

Please pay crossing guards like the essential workers they are.

— Nicole Freeman