motherly advice

Since our youngest got his driver's license a month ago, now we have three children who all drive and have their own car.

We have 5 cars that need space in our driveway.

Someone's gotta park on the grass.

This wasn't a problem when I got my license back in 19(you fill in the blank).  My mom had a car and my dad had a car.  Simple.  And for me that meant that if I ever wanted to actually take advantage of my license, I needed to borrow a vehicle from someone.   Usually that someone wasn't Dad because he had to go to work all day.

Default loaner car = Mom's big green station wagon.

Yay me.

Since my mother didn't work outside our home, it generally wasn't a problem to get the car for an hour or a day.  The problem was that I didn't have much income, and the station wagon's gas tank took a fair amount of income to keep it filled even back in those days.  I did the best I could to help out on my meager summer-job salary, but I can remember being in a quandry one night over needing to give the wagon some juice because I wanted to go out with my friends, but not having any cash on hand.

My mother in her wisdom said to me,

"Maybe you'll have to tell your friends you can't go because you don't have enough money to put gas in the car."

Oh. My. Gosh.  The truth was out.  My mother really was from another planet.

I can't remember what happened that evening, but I'm sure I begged, borrowed or stole so that I could drive away with my head held high because there was no way a statement like that was coming out of my mouth.

Somehow my kids keep their cars running, gassed up, and on the road. I don't ask; they don't tell.  But if they ever need my advice, I've got some ready to give.

Thanks, Mom.

2 comments:

  1. One of my best friends just said, "no" to her daughter asking for gas money. Claire then said, "But I said I would drive."
    And the mom said, "Then maybe you should ask the girls to give you the gas money, because you are not getting more from me."
    Claire got angry, but, as you say, she went out. Gail didn't ask, and Claire was not likely to say, "Thanks" to mom. We had that conversation yesterday! It's good to start to catch up with other blogs. I have to tell her to read yours, so she will know she is so VERY far from alone!

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  2. Yes Jeannette! Pass it along - it'll be a mother's advice for all of eternity!

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