It’s January; a time of fresh starts! As we cheer “Happy New Year” and flip open a new calendar, the year ahead seems so full of promise.  It is said that the older we get, the more quickly each year goes by, and to me, that seems to be true. It’s hard to believe that our eldest son will start driving this year. Nothing opens doors to the world for us like the ability to transport ourselves wherever we want to go.

Do you remember your first car? I did something daring when I purchased my first brand-new car – I bought a standard.  That might not sound too daring, until I tell you that when I purchased it, I didn’t yet know how to drive it!  I had never driven a standard transmission before, but I was convinced that I wanted to know that feeling.  So I went right ahead and ordered one, against the advice of many of many of my family and friends.

A short time later, the dealer called to tell me that my new car had arrived. Here I was, in a new city, with an exciting new job, and now I would opening the door to my new car! A dealership employee had to drive the vehicle to me, since I wasn’t capable of getting it off the lot myself.  He pulled up to the curb, hopped out and told me that he could recognize me from a mile away – I was beaming from ear to ear.  I’ll admit I was excited.

He happily took this photo of me beside my flashy new ride.  Then, he was kind enough to take me around the block a few times as a quick, impromptu driving lesson.  Needless to say, it was a bit of a bumpy ride!

I picked up a Student Driver sign and placed it in my rear window. I figured that would notify others to give me a wide berth, particularly on hills! As I proceeded to get to know my new vehicle in the weeks that followed, I loved the feeling of shifting gears. I refused to be intimidated and got out onto the highway as frequently as I could.

That car took me to three new cities over years, and it was the vehicle I parked in front of our first home. It was also the vehicle in which we brought our son home from the hospital. And soon he will be experiencing the freedom of going through a car door towards his future.  I’m not sure what it will hold for him. We can only guide him towards the best choices and allow him to open his own doors.