The Last Kid is Licensed to Drive!

Over the past six years, I have made many trips to the Department of Motor Vehicles with an anxious boy, starting the process with the learner's permit and finishing a year later with the driver's test. I learned to go a few doors down to the Christian bookstore, Rainbow West, instead of sitting nervously in the DMV office waiting for the minutes to slowly pass as my boy took a test.

The two older boys were blessed with excessive confidence that didn't translate into instant success. One boy passed the driving test the first time (and enjoyed the company of his tester so much that he wanted to invite her home for dinner) but took several tries to pass the written; another boy passed the written easily but made a dumb mistake and flunked the driving test the first time. Nick passed the test for the permit the first try, but was understandably nervous about the license tests. He wisely asked his dad to go driving with him the day before and critique him.

For the first time, Will was the accompanying parent on the driver's license quest as they headed to the DMV first thing Monday morning. As the time passed, I figured no news was good news. Eventually Will called and told me to get out the tissues. My heart sank, until Will continued talking about how Nick had mowed down a couple of pedestrians and so on. I requested he put Nick on the phone for a true report. Nick was thrilled to confirm that he had passed both tests with flying colors.

So here he is after they returned home, ready to hop into the old Corolla instead of his bike and head down the road to the gas station and then to his job at the seed warehouse. After paying nearly $40 to fill the tank that Eric drained every drop out of before parking the car a few months ago, Nick appreciates the boring job even more!
Will and I went down the road a little later and saw the Corolla carefully backed into the parking lot. Nick gets off work a 8:00 PM, and for the last three evenings since he got that license, he has had places to go and people to see when work is over.

Along with the satisfaction that my son growing up, becoming responsible and independent, is a twinge of sadness. I will especially miss the opportunities to talk to him that happened as I was driving him around to activities. That driver's license is a huge step in the process of becoming independent.

Knowing that Nick would be my last baby, I have especially treasured every milestone, from pregnancy on. When he was a baby, I spent as much time holding him as I could, knowing how quickly that baby time passes. Now here we are, with the empty nest around the corner in just a few more years. I will try to enjoy his teenage years as much as possible. The messes are annoying, waiting to hear the car return by curfew can produce some anxiety...but my years of putting up with it are blessedly short!

Fortunately, there are plenty of little guys around to renew the joys of childhood. Here's my nephew Cody at his Uncle Galen's house last week. Cody's approach to pools reminds me of my boys at that age - pools are not for wading in, they are for jumping into!