Next stop...the driver's seat

The sage bureaucrats at the California Transportation Safety Authority have deemed it necessary that all children travelling in a motor vehicle be seated in a child seat until they reach the point of six years of age and sixty pounds. Wise guidance indeed.

Well, last week, my oldest boy reached this benchmark in his life and we disposed of his much maligned booster seat. Since he turned six he has asked to be weighed any time we were in eyesight of a scale, anticipating his pending liberation once that golden weight was achieved.
It took him an extra year to do it, but he finally weighed in at 60.3 pounds. I have never seen him smile so much. I mean, you would think that he had just won the lottery every time he clicks the seat belt by himself now.

But each click of that seat belt is yet another tick on the clock winding down to his ultimate emancipation from my care. Like his learning to ride a bike, I am not ready for this assumption of independence. I realize this may sound pathetic and there are times when our kids drive us nuts. But those times are so few, and moments when they separate from us seem to last forever and leave a dent in my heart. I want my boys to grow up to be fine, responsible and godly men. I'm just in no hurry for the whole growing up enterprise itself.

When we are out, I often jokingly ask my son if he would like to drive. He laughs at the obsurdity of my question and says 'no'. After today, I think I'll stop asking him, the day he says yes is closer than I think. Sigh.


Peace to all.