A few minutes ago, Nicholas pulled out of the driveway at the helm of his Camry for his first solo mission to Wake Tech’s North Campus to start his college journey learning about how to service and maintain cars (and Toyota products in particular).
To say he is excited about this new chapter in his life is a grand understatement!
And now more than ever I truly understand why my father had this look on his face that was a mixture of pride and trepidation when I drove away from the house for the first time by myself. And like him, though he’d never have admitted it as I’m admitting it to you…he was desperately trying to hold back the tears that he saved for when I had made the turn round the corner and went out of sight.
Because he was relatively late to the driving party and then the pandemic didn’t exactly help him get the time behind the wheel, we treated the Class C driving licence he got a couple of months ago as a learner’s permit for him to get familiar and comfortable with the Camry and he’s done much better at it and much quicker than I’d have imagined.
Certainly, we’ve had the instances where his technique could have been better and we’ve tried to pass along all of the tips and tricks we possibly could but at some point, the little birdie has to test those wings and let the winds hold them aloft as the universe intended for them to do.
It doesn’t make it less harrowing watching them drive away when your job for eighteen plus years is to try to keep him safe and secure.
But as I was giving him the same spiel my father did to me many years earlier about how it would be about halfway to my first destination having driven there by myself that the realisation would set in that I had discovered a freedom unlike anything I had ever known before. All of a sudden, I had the ability to go where I pleased when I wished to do so (within reason…my father was not at all liberal when it came to when I was expected to be in place for the final bugle of the evening!).
But along with it came a metric tonne of responsibilities I’d never had before with the added joy of no safety net.
It was another step toward being on my own and it was a joyous revelation.
I have faith that Nicholas will find today a similar revelation and I hope that he can look upon it with pride that he’s taken a very large step in the right direction for his future.
I have faith he will find his way back home safely this evening…he certainly has incentive with the promise of “aglio e olio” on offer and I’m sure he’ll do whatever it takes to get his plate!
Yes…I am so proud of him watching him make the left turn onto Thistlegate and go out of sight knowing we’ve done what we can to prepare him for this day. I hope he truly finds the calling of his heart in his classes and takes full advantage of the opportunities before him.
Most of all, I’ll try to resist being a nervous nellie until he returns home safely.
I believe he will.
Faith manages! 🙂
Now, if you’ll please excuse me so I can do some work on some projects I’ve needed to attend to so I don’t make a complete mess of myself through the tears of joy and pride… 😉
