A Touching Photo is Captivating the Internet: Here's Why

Not every child experiences emotional surges before the new school year, but if it happens, school bus driver Isabel Lane knows just what to do.

This week marked the start of the school year for Axel Johnson, a first-grader in the U.S. "I had numerous conversations with him about going back to school during the break. It was clear to me it wasn’t going to be easy, but I had to teach him how to deal with this difficulty," recalls his mother, Amy.

Despite her efforts to calm him by saying 'everything will be okay,' Axel boarded the school bus anxious and scared. "At first, he was smiling and happy when he saw me around the corner," recalls Isabel, the bus driver. "As I began to slow down to stop at his house, I saw his face begin to change."

Amy helped her son get on the bus, seating him in the first seat behind the driver and then took a photo to keep as a future memory.

"I Never Thought It Would Become a Big Deal"

As the mom started to descend the bus steps and say goodbye to her son, Axel refused to let go. "He clung to her clothes, calling 'Mom, Mom,' and burst into tears as his mother stepped off the bus and the door closed behind her," the driver recounts.

Then, as if by instinct, Isabel reached back and held Axel’s hand in a comforting gesture.

Later, Isabel posted this picture on her Facebook page to remind parents that sometimes parting can be difficult for kids, but in the end, everything works out for the best.

The local police department shared her post and praised Isabel for helping Axel through the difficult days of transitioning from kindergarten to first grade. "I never thought it would become such a big deal," Isabel said after the post went viral. "I guess it’s something anyone would have done if they were in my place."