Life lessons

So I’m wearing my glasses more often. I went to a new optometrist – I told her very candidly that I know, I know I wear my contacts far too much and too often – big smile on my face, obviously I know what I’m doing right? At the end of the appointment she looked me straight in the eye and said “I know you told me you’re wearing your contacts too much – but seriously you’re wearing your contacts too much”. Well isn’t she just so young and brilliant. Truthfully it was something in the way she spoke. I got the message. So vanity aside, I am wearing my glasses more often. Its actually getting easier everyday to make that choice. They feel pretty good. Guess its time to go see Jo for an update. Maybe once Christmas bills are done… Samantha had her eyes checked too. So far so good. Though she is the one in the family that WANTS glasses. She is my accessory queen – I love it! How do you tell an almost 15 year old to slow it down, stop growing up so fast… stop turning heads with that laugh… its like telling the sun not to set.

I dropped Mandy off at school this yesterday. She failed her drivers. What I thought was going to be an unbearable hole in my stomach turned out much better. She liked the tester very much and he gave her a big boost of confidence. They came back to the building laughing and its like she’s got this one more little hurdle and the stars will align. If I could sum up her test experiences so far with one word, they’d be:

#1 – Cavalier (everyone fails the first time)
#2 – DEVASTATED (everyone’s supposed to pass the second time)
#3 – Furious (stupid technicalities)
#4 – Stoic

#4 is the one I will dwell on for a moment. Mandy is a good driver. She honestly made 2 mistakes and is fully prepared to accept the consequences of that. The Tester was great and said she could call him in 2 weeks after the mandatory wait period and he’d get her in with another tester so she doesn’t have to wait another 2 months for an opening. We wondered aloud as we drove what’s the worst thing that could happen if she fails again… she’ll take it again – she said mom, I’m starting to see that now. She gets that this is not the end of her world. Don’t get me wrong. She desperately wants her license, but is very understanding of the process and where she is at in it. She will get her licence, it is only a matter of time, her time will come.

I firmly believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe she just wasn’t ready yet. (quite possible the first 2 times) Maybe she needed the time with us in the car more than the average teenager. Maybe an accident waiting down the road would have included her. I’ll never know, but this has all taught her about more than just driving. Its taught me too. Lucky Samantha will also get the benefit of this lesson – more time at the wheel right from the get go.