Confessions on a driver's license

Briana asked a valid question. Why? I started to answer her, but realized that she deserves a more complete answer. I actually signed up for Driver's Ed at the normal time: in high school. It conflicted with something else, so I signed up for the after-school class--which was cancelled. My dad even tried to hire the teacher to tutor me! He also tried to teach me and that didn't go well, shall we say.

Fast forward a couple of years and my parents were getting really worried about the situation. So they bought me a car. Think of it as an incentive. It was blue and very cute. They thought it would motivate me, instead it embarrassed me. I know I'm weird, but I grew up as the "rich kid" in a little town, where my family lived in the biggest house and drove the nicest car. I always struggled to make friends, and thought it was because kids thought I was stuck up. I wasn't, but I was shy, which can be misunderstood. So the last thing I wanted to do was to drive around town in a brand new little car. I figured it would totally seal the deal on how I thought I was too good for anybody. Looking back, I'm sure I had it all wrong--but that was my mind-set at the time. So the car went into storage and I went back to BYU.

Fast forward to shortly after I got engaged. One night I decided it was time to make my confession to my sweetheart. Would he still love me? I wasn't sure. I told him I had something to tell him. He reassured me that anything I might tell him would be okay. You can imagine the kinds of things he was wondering. We walked around the block three times before I got up the courage to tell him. "I have a new car." Well, the rest is history. He still loved me in spite of it, and still married me--and even, quite happily, drove the car!

And then he tried to teach me to drive it. But that didn't go so well either. Perhaps my children who learned to drive with their dad will understand that. Finally, four children later, I took a course at BYU with an instructor who was patient, but didn't love me, and I finally passed the test. But not until that little blue car had been outgrown and replaced--by a car without a stick shift.

One Minute That Made My Day!

It was just after nine this morning when the phone rang. I was waiting for a call from Julie, so I was surprised when the caller ID said "unknown name." Still, I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mom."

My mind raced through the options, but nothing fit.

"Do you know who this is?"

And then I knew. And the tears came.

"Don't cry Mom. This is a really expensive call, so I've got to make it short, but I need to know what time it is there. I love you."

I love you too. Oh, how I love you!

Christmas is coming!