Sunday, August 28, 2016

"It's so hard to say Goodbye to yesterday" – Boyz II Men

I started writing this post last week, but never finished because, well,  I'm officially struggling to get in school mode... still. It's like I have never done this before. Except that this is the 6th time I've done this. I had hoped for the "6th time's the charm". Is that the phrase? I don't know, maybe it's the heat. Yeah that's it. I will continue to blame the heat for all my shortcomings.

Anyway...

The Summy family, or rather I the Summy mom, have reached a new phase in life. Last week we said goodbye to my Honda Pilot and traded it in for a dreaded youth sucking mini van. This has been a little tough for me to swallow.

I loved my Pilot more than anyone should love a vehicle. I'm completely serious. I only had it for 6 short years, but I LOVED it like an old friend. After a particularly difficult day, I would just go for a drive with the windows down and the 90s alt rock cranked up and would come home feeling rejuvenated. It was the first brand new car I owned. It was so shiny and cool and had all the bells and whistles. It was perfect. And if we didn't have such noisy, touchy, long legged kids (or blessings from Lord) with giant backpacks, I would have driven that thing until the wheels fell off. 

But alas, the time had come (or rather the Honda clearance event had come) and so we said a very tearful (on my end) good bye. I know what you are going to say.  "We should not value our material possessions because they have no eternal value." But I don't care what you say. As Steel Magnolia's M'Lynn Eatenton would say "That's what my mind says, I wish somebody would explain it to my heart." The hope in the eternal brought me little to no comfort last Saturday afternoon as I watched my car leave the driveway for the last time. 

It was like a weird version of Sophie's Choice. I desperately wanted the space and convenience of the minivan, but couldn't stand the thought of becoming a stereotypical suburban soccer mom. I felt sure that I would wake up the next day completely gray and wearing mom jeans. 

Seeing that I was slightly overreacting and starting to spiral out of control, my husband (who is always willing bring me back down to reality) mentioned that, while that was a legitimate concern in my late twenties, it is not so off target for a mom of 3 who is pushing 40. "You are what you are...and what you are is a mom."  There you go. Life according to Steve Summy. It's possible we could not be more different if we tried.

"Just pretend you are sad for Mommy."

I sometimes overreact. It's just what I do.

So after a "good bye photo shoot" with my pilot (Doesn't everybody do those?), I vowed to move on and be thankful for the comfort and convenience of a new van. And after only a week I totally get it. Magical doors and a spacious interior have made everything we do a more pleasant experience. Grocery shopping, School Carpool, and Weekend Road Trips have all been improved just in the first week of owning this "living room on wheels".

Lest I sound ungrateful for a new vehicle, all kidding aside, I am so thankful that we are in the position to have something this extravagant to transport our precious family here and there. I sat in it couple of times this week smelling that new car smell and thinking of all the memories that will be made in it. All the conversations that will take place while heading to play practice or basketball games. The road trips that will shape us as a family. I want to regularly pray over our van that God will always be present with us while we navigate the next several years of life.

So like most things (including myself), it's what's on the inside of the van (and not the outward appearance) that really counts. Maybe this will be a good daily reminder of that truth.

Steve keeps telling me this is just a season. The more I think about it, I think it has the potential to be our best season yet. If for no other reason than the next season will involve teenage drivers and that is basically terrifying.



FACEBOOK FROM THE PAST
August 2014
Many thanks to the kind and compassionate police officer who had pity on me and gave me a traffic warning instead of the speeding ticket I deserved. He took one look at the frat party going on in my back seat and knew I could really use a break.



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