Life Is A Highway ... blog by Shelley Carppe

"There's no load I can't hold, a road so rough, this I know 
I'll be there when the light comes in, Just tell 'em we're survivors
Life is a highway, I want to ride it all night long"   Tom Cochrane

Yesterday, the car that all of our girls learnt to drive in drove out of our driveway for the last time. It's found a new home, with a new learner driver, and my wish is that they have as much fun, as many adventures, and even more crazy sing-alongs in her than my girls did.

What I didn't expect was to feel so nostalgic. We've had that car for 8 years now - since my girls were 16, 14 and 11. They all learnt to drive in her - hours and hours of one on one time with each of them, talking and learning and laughing and discussing. 

It's the car my eldest took her German friend for a road trip around the South Island in, and they fell in love - they're now engaged, and living in Germany. It's the car that has kept my children safe, widened their horizons, driven them to their first jobs,  given them independence, and, most importantly brought them home safe to me again.

There are a few pivotal moments in our parenting journey, and we often focus on the firsts. The first word, the first step, the first day of Kindy, school, high school, first drives, first dates, etc.  On the flip side, some of the significance of firsts are that they signal lasts - the first word means soon they won't need you to talk for them any more. The first step signifies the beginning of independence; they won't need you to carry them any more. The first day of Kindy means not  having them home all day with you on weekdays, the first day of school means Kindy is over (that was a real wrench for me!) and so on. All these firsts, that also denote lasts. And my 'baby' buying her first car of her own means the last of our little Demio.

Life certainly is a highway - the milestones along the way, the bends and bumps and hills and plains. It's like one long 'roadie' where the best parts are when the journey is shared by friends and loved ones. It's a reminder that, rather than just focusing on the next destination, we need to enjoy the scenery, stops, adventures and the company along the way.

And for every first, there's a last, some more poignant than others. Who knew that the little learners car tootling out of the driveway for the last time would be so heart wrenching. 

Go well, Demi-O, we miss you already.