Fast cars and freedom
October’s a HUGE birthday month in the McKenna household. Of the six of us, three of us have birthdays in October. Rob’s is the 1st, mine’s at the end of the month (Ask me how many Halloween-themed birthday parties I had as a kid. Yeah, a lot.) and Connor’s is this coming week. And this year, he’s turning 16!
We all know what that means … an anxiety-filled trip to the DOL to take that all-important driving test. It’s a right of passage for both teen and parent. I’m sure he’ll pass, which means in less than a week my last child will be asking for the keys and asserting his independence.
Fast cars and freedom.
Well okay, driving faster than the posted speed limit is out, but there certainly is a whole lotta freedom to be gained – both for Connor and for me – once he can drive himself to school, friends’ houses and the never-ending rehearsals for the five plays he’s currently in.
And while I don’t pine for the days of schlepping car seats in and out of cars, I will miss the mundane conversations we had, his quick-witted assessment of other drivers and even the first harrowing weeks of having him behind the wheel.
Now, it’s not like we’ll never be in the car again together, but if you’ve raised teenagers you know what I mean; everything changes once they can drive.
So if you drive the mean streets of suburban Seattle, consider this fair warning! A newly-minted McKenna driver will be on the road soon. I’ll be reminding him to check his mirrors before changing lanes and to use the left lane only to pass (ah, if only everybody knew this!), but you see him, give him a friendly wave. He’s my baby!
PS: Have you ever thought, “Hey, Marilyn, is there anything I can do to help you?” Well, if you’ve ever had that thought, thank you very much. And yes, there is something you can do! Online reviews of my book Eat Like It Matters make a huge difference. Readers really respect the views of other readers. If you take a few minutes to write a positive review, it’s a real help. If you’re going to write a negative review, well … no need to bother! (Teehee.)
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