This weekend, we said goodbye to our 12 passenger van. It is another extremely bittersweet moment. I still remember the excitement when we first got it, almost 8 years ago. I had my own 4 children and 3 others that were staying with us, plus my in-home daycare. Additionally, my mom generally joined us for most outings. We just couldn’t fit in my minivan any longer. Even when my mom drove separately, it just wasn’t working for us.
So, we began a new era. An era full of adventures. This van took us on way too many local field trips to even begin to count. We explored almost our whole home state of Wisconsin. It took us to Mall of America in Minnesota, all over in Florida, 3 trips to Georgia, trips to Tennessee and Kentucky, trips to Chicago, and I’m sure other places that have currently slipped my mind. We’ve had the privilege of traveling with many friends, family and little people that are extremely important to us. These trips have been extremely memorable for so many different reasons.
Each stain tells a story.
Each seat holds a memory.
This is kind of like my homeschooling journey has been. Each year is a chapter full of memories, mishaps, and adventures. In the beginning, I was filled with pure excitement and wore rose-tinted glasses. As the years went on, some were stressful and some were overly joyful, but all have been memorable. Through the years, my rose-tinted glasses came off and we started living more realistically. We didn’t expect or care about perfection. We learned to be true to ourselves.
With my oldest child finishing college in a few days and my second child graduating high school this spring, new chapters and new beginnings just seem to be becoming normal. At one time the feeling of being overwhelmed with little ones at home could be stifling. Now, I long for the days when everyone is home and just waiting for me to “teach” them something. Those days are gone. The older children now pretty much do everything on their own. I’m learning more and more to step into an encouraging role instead of a leading role. This is not always easy for me. I’m thankful I still have my poor 10 year old to take out my “leadership skills” on.
Watching my older children delve into fields of study that interest and inspire them is more rewarding than I thought it would be. Watching them grow into the young adults they’re destined to become is proof that making it through those tough early years will happen.
With this van, we have also been able to help people. We have given rides to people in need. We have helped transport furniture and other household goods. We have taken groups of children to ring bells for the Salvation Army, to the Humane Society, and to Meals On Wheels, to name a few. Others have borrowed our van for a multitude of reasons. It has been the vehicle that has allowed us to focus on others and not just ourselves. This was always something very important to me to make a part of my children’s lives. Without this van, I’m not sure I could have been as involved as I was, in allowing our family to contribute to our community in the ways we have.
Saying goodbye to this van has my mind running in all directions. Yearning to go back to the early childhood years while also excited at racing ahead to embrace the young adult years.
I’m currently at a yield sign.
This is my current chapter.
Time to SLOW DOWN. I often allow the chaotic busyness that accompanies this season to dictate my family’s pace. This year, intentionally, I am not. We are trying to savor each day as much as we can.
Defer to oncoming or intersecting traffic. Seeing what is coming in our direction and investigating the choices.
We will stop when necessary and proceed when safe. My job is still to keep my children as safe as possible. We evaluate each opportunity as it comes along and try really hard not to rush into anything. Trying to encourage my children to not make rash decisions, with 2 teen sons, is a full-time job! Remain aware of oncoming vehicles. Although it is my chapter to sit back and watch them make choices, I still need to be aware of what is occurring at all times. So far, my children seem to understand and appreciate this.
Who knew that getting rid of a once well-loved vehicle would get inside my head as much as this one has?!?!?
This was such a sweet… and bittersweet post. Sadly some chapters finish too soon. We reach for the next book in the series, but we still want to go back to the first one. It’s just the way life works. Nice post!
Thank you! Sometimes letting go of previous chapters is really tough.