Parker and I headed out the door. We were on our way to pack up my classroom for the summer. As soon as my foot hit the concrete floor of the garage, the question was popping out of Parker's mouth...
"Can I drive?"
I tossed him the keys.
He chauffeured me to the bank, the gas station, the post office...one hand on the wheel...reflective shades carefully in place...music on...never complaining, just happy to be behind the wheel.
And I was happy to be along for the ride.
We pulled up to Sonic, and I proudly noticed how polite he was to the lady on the other side of the speaker. As he paid for our drinks (with my money) I ripped paper off his straw and pulled it out of it's sheath with my teeth. "Uh oh!" I said. "I just put my teeth on your straw."
He just rolled his eyes. "So. You're my mom," he said. "You'll probably be doing that when I'm 30 and I still won't care."
Horrified I replied, "Oh, God! I hope not!" Surely he'll have a wife to put her teeth on his straw by then. And I do NOT plan on being that Mother-in-Law.
Anyway, we made it to my school where Parker and another of my Favorite Young Men made a manly show of carrying boxes and holding doors, making me feel well-loved and taken care of.
Later that afternoon, I was back in the passenger seat, only this time it was Hubby's hands on the wheel. He chauffeured me to Aldi, Wal-Mart, Panera, and Target...one hand on the wheel...reflective shades carefully in place...never complaining, just happy to be with me.
And I was happy to be along for the ride.
Hubby was polite to the lady at Starbucks, and I couldn't help thinking that Parker was learning to be a Good Man by watching a Good Man. In-between lessons on shooting a basketball, changing a tire, and mowing a lawn, Parker has been getting lessons in Living in the moment and Loving a woman. I think it's starting to stick.
It wasn't so long ago that I chafed at being chauffeured...craving control and fearing that anyone else's hands on the wheel would certainly take me somewhere I didn't want to go.
But Parker isn't the only one who's been learning lessons.
I've learned that Life is a looong trip. And it's so much nicer when you take turns driving.
So today I relax into my seat...feet on the dash...sun on my face...starbucks in hand...and I enjoy the ride.
1 comment:
Me, too. But I've been riding in the back seat while Dad coached the young drivers. I finally got my front seat re-claimed, and here come the grandkids, "calling front seat" or "calling shotgun". When we had Vy here, she explained that servants ride in the front and the rich woman rides in the back. So I am a rich woman. I take a book and enjoy the ride.
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