Driver II

A driving permit has been issued for Kiahra.

Two weeks ago she passed her written test (with none to spare).

One week ago she survived her first professional driving lesson.

Now she is legal to drive with us.

She drove around yesterday afternoon with her father.  They found errands to keep themselves entertained.

She came home smiling.

How did my baby girl go from crawling to driving so quickly?

That reminds me...Kiahra stood before she walked.  She could stand up in the middle of the room and play, but she would not take a step.  No way.

When she wanted to cover ground she crawled. She decided she was ready to take her first steps several months later.  Of course, she already had balance so those first steps were rather uneventful.

She doesn't clamor to drive, and she is cautious, but soon she will be driving comfortably.

It will take me longer to accept this rite of passage...

for I remember her "helping" her daddy

Reflection

From the wharf, Nikela and I watched the seals swimming in the Santa Cruz waters.

Her senior year is causing me to pause and reflect often.

On this day, it was the last time she would march along the beach in Santa Cruz.

Afterwards, we enjoyed lunch on the wharf, as we watched the sailboats from our table window.

Conversation moved from the present to the future and back again.

Water polo. 

College applications.

Scholarships opportunities.

Explorer police academy.

Four years ago we moved to California.

She was a mere freshman back then.

After graduation we will move...again.

But these years have been good.

We reflect on all our memories with smiles and laughter.

We pause when the nostalgia makes our voices catch.

Change is hard.

Like our reflection, life's journey is constantly changing.

But each moment forms us, and for this moment I reflect with gratitude.