When the gearshift pulled up and into his hand, my husband realized it was time to junk our 21-year-old car. The Saturn we bought as newlyweds had about 232,000 miles on the speedometer - six years ago when the speedometer broke. It has no horn, no ceiling upholstery, no working gas gauge and so on. Since New Jersey only checks emissions on cars now, it did pass inspection recently.
After a long winter that felt as if everything was stalled, life is moving at a fast pace.
Last night in a heavy downpour my husband and I bought a 2014 Honda Accord hybrid. I felt this morning as if I were flying a spaceship to work, what with all those airbags, and the bluetooth technology, the power windows and the myriad lights all over the dashboard that tell me more than I need to know about how my car is working.
The future just showed up when I wasn't expecting it.
Tonight I drove our older son, a high school senior, to a tuxedo shop to be fitted for senior prom. He just got his learners permit and I am not quite ready to let him drive the new car.
Last night we sent our deposit to the college he will attend this fall. And now, here we were, at a tuxedo shop.
He didn't need my help in picking the style. He'd done a ton of online research and talked to his date, who understands he is going with simple black and white - no matching the bow tie and cummerbund with her dress. They are talking about the color of the boutonniere and the corsage. I have no role to play.
The customers in the tuxedo shop looked to me like boys, all awkward and pimply and with their moms as they were being fitted for senior prom tuxedos. And yet, they are young man on the brink of adulthood. It feels so sudden, this frantic hurl into the future. I know the past is gone. It's been nearly 18 years since we drove from the hospital with our newborn son. It's been years since we strapped two car seats into the back of sedan. My husband and I always said our greatest desire was for happy and healthy children who grew into independent and self-sufficient young men. Still, I will be sad when that old Saturn is hauled off our driveway.
After a long winter that felt as if everything was stalled, life is moving at a fast pace.
Last night in a heavy downpour my husband and I bought a 2014 Honda Accord hybrid. I felt this morning as if I were flying a spaceship to work, what with all those airbags, and the bluetooth technology, the power windows and the myriad lights all over the dashboard that tell me more than I need to know about how my car is working.
The future just showed up when I wasn't expecting it.
Last night we sent our deposit to the college he will attend this fall. And now, here we were, at a tuxedo shop.
He didn't need my help in picking the style. He'd done a ton of online research and talked to his date, who understands he is going with simple black and white - no matching the bow tie and cummerbund with her dress. They are talking about the color of the boutonniere and the corsage. I have no role to play.
The customers in the tuxedo shop looked to me like boys, all awkward and pimply and with their moms as they were being fitted for senior prom tuxedos. And yet, they are young man on the brink of adulthood. It feels so sudden, this frantic hurl into the future. I know the past is gone. It's been nearly 18 years since we drove from the hospital with our newborn son. It's been years since we strapped two car seats into the back of sedan. My husband and I always said our greatest desire was for happy and healthy children who grew into independent and self-sufficient young men. Still, I will be sad when that old Saturn is hauled off our driveway.
I just found this page.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the way you write about your life and your family/
I have five adult children and ten grandchildren.
I was married for thirty-seven years to the man with whom I learned the beauty of faith and love and family.
I was widowed nine years ago and in the past two years the Lord has returned to me a desire to continue looking forward to tomorrow and to look for ways to show His love in more concrete ways to my family and the people He brings into my life.
On May thirty-first my first grand daughter will marry.
During my last visit with her family-over Lent and Easter- she and I shared some short but very sweet conversations and I treasure them.
I too know the past is gone and yet it still remains! All the joys and tears, the promises of love and commitment continue to live and move inside me and to make me a stronger, gentler more hopeful woman.
Indeed, His love and mercy and faithfulness are past understanding!