Our daughter just received her driver’s license and it’s been an interesting journey. Unlike me, who took to driving immediately, jumping at any opportunity to practice, our daughter hated driving right off the bat. I was convinced, for a short bit that she would never take to it. In her mind, the dangers of driving were/are very real and making a mistake could be costly.
Unlike learning a language, which is her real passion, where she can get a translation wrong with no real consequences, learning to drive and making an error could cost lives. I can’t fault her for her reasoning at all.
She took her mandatory driver’s ed class last summer and didn’t drive much over the following school year. I would offer often and she had a plethora of excuses: I’m too tired, I don’t feel well, I’m too stressed, etc. We decided as a family not to pressure her but discussed her practicing over this summer before her learners permit expired.
For me, I was rather a speed demon and the day I could have my driver’s license, on my sixteenth birthday, I got it.
It was rather amazing to witness her transformation from a scared, unsure driver to one with far more confidence. As we kept reminding her, some things require a lot of practice to master and driving is one of those things. I asked her what changed for her and this is what she told me:
After a weekend at our cabin by the lake, she drove us home out of the mountains. It’s a very scenic drive of winding roads and stellar mountain views. She said that for the first time, she really enjoyed driving. She felt relax as she drove us down the mountain.
As my husband pointed out to me as we went through this process, one thing that is very consistent with our daughter is that when something ‘clicks’ for her, she’s all over it. She’s turned into a great driver and I trust that she will always be cautious and not take the privilege for granted. In hindsight, her fear of driving wasn’t such a bad thing. It delayed her a bit but she has far more respect for what’s necessary to be a safe driver and as a mom that leaves me feeling great!
I’m a huge fan of my family and I must say that sixteen is my favorite year with my daughter so far. It’s a real honor to watch her grow into an amazing human being.
What seemed like a huge obstacle turned into a blessing. I have to remember that more when I’m lamenting over a bad review because often they still buy the next two books of the trilogy! 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Warm hugs,
Blakely
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Our daughter has moved away to her university. We got her settled yesterday, with big help from my mother. I’ve been so excited for her, knowing that it’s the perfect school for our girl, I really had no clue how I would feel when she finally left. Mind you, she will probably be back for the summer and I know I will be way more panicked when she goes abroad to Japan for six months next year. However, I’m deeply— I honestly don’t know the right word. Sad doesn’t seem to quite fit. Maybe more it feels like a loss but I know it’s not. She and I are super close and she is only an hour and a half away but my heart hurts today. Continue reading 
