Gettin' Sappy

If anyone had told me that a trip to the Snappy Lube for an oil change would inspire a blog post, I probably would've just laughed.  But that's exactly what has happened, so here goes...

Let me begin with just a bit of background. In just three more months, my Honda Oddyssey will be 10 years old.  It's the longest I've ever driven one vehicle, but it's also the first I've ever purchased brand new.  When my husband and I bought it the day before Thanksgiving in 2002, it was after weeks of waiting to see if the Honda dealer near us would ever get a red one.  The day I saw it through the showroom window was the day we brought it home.  But it didn't stay there long because three days later we strapped in our girls, then ages 4 and 7, and took off on a road trip to Disney!  It was the first of many trips and adventures in that van, and I guess that's why the unexpected question from the Snappy Lube service technician sent me on a sappy trip down memory lane.

"You've kept that van in good shape.  You gonna be looking to sell it anytime soon?"

"Should I be," I asked?  "Well no, those Hondas will run forever if you take care of them.  I just wondered since you've gotten some miles on it if you might be getting ready for something new."

"Nah, with a daughter starting college in a year I don't want a car payment," I replied.  "I'll probably drive this one until it's falling apart around me!"

I paid my bill and left, and as I began to pull out of the parking lot the realization of what I had just said hit me full force.  I braked and turned around to look behind me, half expecting to see two little girls coloring or playing with their Polly Pockets.  I blinked at the empty seats, knowing full well that Kaelie was hundreds of miles away on a youth group mission trip and Hannah was hanging out with a friend.  How has the time gone so fast?

For the rest of the drive home, I was flooded with memories of time spent in that van.  Countless trips to visit grandparents at opposite ends of the state, to Georgia to visit family and friends, beaches in the Carolinas, twice to NYC and again to Disney, Thanksgiving in Pensacola, and more trips to volleyball, softball, and soccer games and tournaments than I can even begin to count.

So many good times, so many wonderful memories.  As I drove I found myself smiling as I reminisced over all the travel games we played to keep young children occupied.  The songs we sang and the laughter we shared.  And yes, even the "don't make me pull this car over" moments!  I thought about the day we got our puppy, Ginger, who turned 9 years old last spring, and the joy on the faces of those two little girls as they climbed into their seats to bring their new friend home.  I pictured the van during the many times that it has been filled with kids, and laughed again at some of the funny conversations I've overheard from behind the steering wheel.

I also let my mind wander to more diffiuclt times.  Heated arguments, driving to and from funerals, sitting numbly in the passenger seat as Joey drove me home from the doctor's office after learning I have MS, wondering if our lives would ever be the same.  Tearfully worshiping on more than one occasion as music from my favorite contemporary Christian radio station came through the speakers to soothe my anxious soul.

As my mind continued to wander, I noticed the places on the steering wheel that my hands have worn smooth.  I remembered watching Kaelie's hands nervously gripping the wheel in the same spots as she learned to drive, all the while nervously gripping the passenger door armrest myself!  Now she drives her own car, and she's not in the van with me nearly as often.  I've realized just how much good conversation has taken place with her there, and the need to work harder now to create those opportunities.  At the same time, I'm also appreciating the one on one time with Hannah, and the conversations that we get to have.  That vehicle has been the scene of a lot of good talks...and tears...and laughter.

Of late, the van has been transporting us to various college tours.  In another year we'll be loading it with all of Kaelie's stuff.  It will take my baby girl away to some dorm room on some campus somewhere, and it will carry the rest of us tearfully home without her.  And very soon after, Hannah's hands will take their place on the smooth spots of the steering wheel, and I will once again nervously grip the passenger door armrest while teaching her to drive.

Yes, a lot of life has happened in that red 2003 Honda Oddyssey. But God willing there's oh so much more to look forward to, and I'm determined to savor every moment. 

Wow. All this from an ordinary visit to the Snappy (okay, "sappy") Lube. Who knew?