Tuesday, January 15, 2013

On the Road of Life: Learner's Permit Already?

"It goes so fast." Everyone told me that when our firstborn was a baby.

Well, cliches are cliches for a reason. The baby in this photo tomorrow will have his first driving lesson. I am so thankful, no, so profoundly grateful for the days, months, years I spent at home with our sons. I do not regret a moment of stepping off the career ladder, even it it meant the tightest of budgets, few family vacations, ancient cars, peeling house paint and repairs gone undone. All of those sacrifices bought me precious time with our boys. Step by step, moment by moment, they grow up. This step is perceptible.

The packet from Somerset Driving School that came in the mail Monday with our eldest's learner's permit registration included a business card that said: "Driving Is The First Major Step For A Teen Ager In To Real Life." (sic) The card has a picture of a car in the left hand corner and an open road leading to the horizon.

He's ready.

I am too. But still. I have a mother's heart. Can you understand why I cried today?

(At right, with friends. My mother knit him that purple scarf)

He is excited about Mr. Khan coming to pick him up after school in the car with two sets of brakes. Our son carefully placed the materials he needs - the registration form, his passport and the check for the driving school - in an envelope on the kitchen butcher block.

"The most beautiful sight in the world is a little child going confidently down the road of life after you have shown him the way." - Confucius


4 comments:

  1. Oh how I hear you! And we just added our newest licensed driver... wait until that happens and you watch them drive off on their own!

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  2. facial hair to boot! what a sweet mom you are.

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  3. Love this. Wish my daughters would let me post pictures of them. (They're prettier than your son.) But, Dad, boundaries!

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    Replies
    1. Noone in my family reads this blog. So I am safe until they do.

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