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Yesterday was the longest day of my life. At least it seemed that way. I could have cried by the time it was truly over.
After double dental appointments, I picked Joshua up from school and drove him to take his driver's test. The testing location was about an hour from his school, so we spent a lot of time in the car yesterday. By the time we finally made it home, Faith was ready to throw herself out the window onto the road. A little lacking in patience, that girl is.
He passed -- only two minor infractions, I think he earned a 95 on both the driving part and the maneuverability. He was very happy. Unfortunately, the licensing center in the county where he took the test was closed yesterday due to a local holiday. That meant we had to drive, again, to another licensing center for him to get his picture taken and to have the actual license produced. Like I said, it was the longest day of my life. Licensing centers are the government's own particular form of hell on earth.
Finally when we got in the car after waiting to get the license, it was almost five o'clock and we'd been driving around the city since 2 o'clock. Josh wanted to drive home, so he got in the driver's seat and I got in the other side. Faith hopped in the back -- this was the first time she had driven with Joshua driving. She buckled her seat belt voluntarily (a rarity) and then piped up, "Anybody have an extra seat belt?" Her sense of humor never fails.
This morning Joshua drove to school alone for the first time. Because he attends our diocesan all-boys school, and not a local public school, he has a drive, and it involves rush-hour freeway traffic. Believe me, I was on my knees for the entire trip. Are we ever ready, as mamas, to send our babies, those we carried under our hearts, out into the world? We imagine all sorts of awful things happening (I certainly do anyway). He texted me when he arrived and parked. He was happy, as evidenced by the happy face at the end of his text. :-) Sometimes we have to take chances in order to succeed. We can stay safe all our lives, but will we truly grow if we don't occasionally push ourselves?
Fortunately our family has many saints in heaven and I invoked every one of them to watch over him. I'm sure his great-grandpas up in heaven were getting a kick out of it. They were probably urging him to rev the engine, while the great-grandmas were elbowing them in the ribs.
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Barb, I learn so much from you as you send your children out into the world. I'm already praying that I will handle it half as well as you do!
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Congratulations on surviving the day at the licensing centers! They're like the first circle of hell. My first 2 had to take the test multiple times, so I've been through it like 8 times. Ugh. And the last one passed on the first try, but the DMV messed up and sent us a letter. We have to go back. AGAIN. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteGive Faith a big hug from me because little sisters should not have to suffer through that nightmare, too! :-)
Sounds like you have some communists working at your DMV also...that's what I call them here...poor people they just look so miserable in their jobs. I sometimes wonder if their smile is broken.
ReplyDeleteA couple days ago we passed by the Chevrolet dealer in town and Sweetpea spotted a brand new lime green camaro...and wanted (really wanted!) me to take her on a test drive of the car...I have concerns with this child and vehicles. :)
I'm so not ready for Connor to drive, and he could have been for some time now but was not doing well in school. His goal this year: do well in school (bring home A's and B's) to get his permit. How am I to let go? Like you: on my knees.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I can pave the path for you a little smoother, Meg. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSara,
I gave Faith a big hug from you and she gave me a big smile!
Oh, resist, Cheryl, resist! (she can't really be old enough to drive, can she?)
Sarah,
Josh is 18, so he waited two years after he could have taken the test. My oldest waited three years. It's a good thing.
No, she's not old enough to drive yet...will take a couple more years for that. So why is she already looking at automobiles????? :) And we did not go for the test drive she wanted. :)
ReplyDeleteBarb, as awful as it is, the trip to the licensing centers in Ohio -- at least my experience while we lived there -- is almost HEAVENLY compared to the ones here in MN. Honestly... we are so far behind the 'modern' times, we still have to wait weeks to receive the drivers' licenses in the mail. (At least in OH you get your 'reward' immediately before you walk out the door!!)
ReplyDeleteBut having said that, yes, life is miserable while one is IN the licensing center!
A few years after we moved to MN, my oldest son had his appointment all set to test for his drivers license. It was a Friday afternoon... and I went into labor that same day!! (Baby was one week early.) No way was I going to let hubby take that boy for his test - I needed him to be with me - so my dad stepped in and took him. As I was between big pushes at the end, I looked at the clock and said, "Ryan should be taking his drivers test now!" and his baby sister was born.
The people at the licensing center informed him that - even though he passed - without either of his parents there, he could not get his license yet, as one of us needed to sign it (because he was under 18)! Poor boy... he had to wait until the following Monday for the photo and paperwork to be completed!
And no, in my experience, we are not ever really ready to send our babies out into the world. It does not get any easier, even after their trip to the alter to receive the sacrament of marriage.
How nerve-wracking Barbara, I can't imagine what you were going through! Congratulations on him passing the test and I hope as the days go on your worry is eased!
ReplyDeleteWe have three sons. When they were still living at home, I lay awake praying every night they were out late with the car, and didn't sleep until I heard it pull into the driveway. One of them totaled two cars (ours) without injury. He was at fault in one of those incidents. One got lost for hours on his first real venture out. The third didn't drive much -- he preferred to walk -- but never had any tickets or accidents, either. The angels were there for all three (and for me!) "Praying for Grace" is what we mothers do --- more often when our children learn to drive. All will be well. :) Rosemary
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