Today my oldest drove off on her own for the first time. She needed toothpaste and wanted an excuse to drive herself to the store. Tomorrow she will drive her sister to/from school, and so ends school pick-ups for me until she’s off to college. Funny how kids bookend a life. Babies arrive and quiet car rides come to an abrupt end. Those babies grow and your quiet car rides are yours again, only bittersweet. Beginnings and endings.

On the first day of my youngest attending kindergarten, I took a photo of the view through my rearview mirror…an empty back seat. It’s empty again, but my heart is full. Full of sister jokes, tender confidences, and sing-alongs. Until today, I didn’t appreciate how special and fleeting our commonplace car rides were.

Parenting is a series of breathtaking beginnings and endings. It was a joy to celebrate a new beginning with these parents. Their little girl is a whole journey unto herself. I hope they enjoy the ride.