Hello Gratitude … Hello to Moving On

 This week I turned 55 

and

 I am always grateful to start a new birthday year!

I decided last year for my birthday this year

 I would get a new car.

I know that sounds like something to be very excited about …

but for me

it is something I have been putting off

literally

for years.

It wasn't until last week it hit me why

when I realized my car was the last tangible to my

years as a full time Mother

and 

I still love how very familiar  and safe my car feels to me.

When I look at my car

I don't see the fading paint

lights so old they have gone opaque 

and

brake lights that have turned pink.

When I see the outside

the paint job is a veritable family scrapbook

as my kids not only grew up in the car

but learned to drive in it as well.

There are scratches 

that came 

from surf boards

and

when rules were broken

and

 off roading was done by boys.

Something at the time seemed so serious 

and

 now with

years behind it's more of a chuckle

and

 remember when.

My three all
passed from childhood
to licensed drivers
inside my car.

Inside   my car I remember family trips

with everybody cozy and safely together

off on new adventures ...

but luckily I can  also remember

incessant driving

the years before my three could drive.

One year I literally spent six hours a day

driving my children to where they needed to be.

and 

that's why

we finally bought a third car.

I am so happy I can remember enough of the past

not to over romanticize it.

There was an awful lot of work involved!

Somedays I am particularly grateful 

to be at this juncture of my road!

I could have down sized my car years

ago

but I just wasn't ready.

But now when I look back and see

the empty rows of seats

I know it's time.

Just like when my oldest son moved out

and

 the alarm clock he left behind

still went off every morning

and

every morning I went to shut off

the haunting reminder of his departure

I gave myself time.

Time to make peace in my heart with the transition.

Until one day

I knew I was OK

to move on

and 

I did.

This time too,

I have given myself time.

I have acknowledged the passage of 

a time in my life

and

by doing so have

 realized there are  so many times in 

life when we must learn 

to transition with grace and courage.

For me reflecting the past with

a grateful heart

makes 

the moving forward

more grounded.

So this week I am grateful

for the past

and 

excited with the continual moving along

to my new future.

I recognize now

transitions and change

are something of a challenge for me.

I remember it was  hard for me to 

go from a career women with my own business

to a full time mother of 3 under 4

But I did

and

 I did it well.

So I realize I  may be slower to embrace change

but I have no doubt when I do

I can always do it well ...

it might just take me a little longer.

So this post is a loving ode to my old car

You served us so very well the past twelve years

keeping us safe

and

 getting us where we needed to go in life

with fun adventures along the way.

For that I am so very grateful!

As always my friends

I wish you love and joy

as you style your life