Attachment

I get too attached to things. I don't mean things like cell phones or purses or other expensive stuff, although I like some of those things just like the next person. I get "emotionally attached" to things. So many people in my family have extreme dislike and even, possibly, a little loathing, for our 1994 GMC Safari. The only other person who, I think, has some caring for it is my oldest, A.J. God love him, he's more like his mom than he thinks! Drew has wanted to get rid of the van so many times and I just can't let it go. The reason....so many memories. I am bonded to it. I just can't help myself. Back in 1996, we had our third baby, Macy. I had just gotten home from the hospital with my sweet little bundle and we were driving a Geo Prizm at the time. Anyone remember those cars? Anyhow, being that the 3 babes were all, well....babies, we had three car seats. So, fitting the three seats in the back was really challenging. I think we even took a trip to Ohio with all three like that in that little car, if I remember correctly, AND our dog, Bingo. At any rate, we knew we couldn't continue that way so Drew trekked quite a distance (we lived in North Carolina at the time) and found this van. It was a beautiful metallic blue color and we just loved it for all the room it had!! From the moment he pulled it into the driveway, it became part of the family. Not long after Macy was born, Drew got assignment to Korea for a year and I decided not to stay in North Carolina with three little ones and no family while he was gone. So up to Ohio we drove and lived with mom and dad for the year, which is in itself another story! The kids and I went everywhere together. I didn't like asking mom and dad to watch them very often. There wasn't much to do in the small town of Girard, so we'd go driving a lot! We traveled to the Columbus area to visit my best friend, Laurie, and her family a every couple weekends. During one particular trip, we actually spun off an icy road and ended up in the median! It had just started to snow and we hit black ice. Two and a half spins round and we stayed on all four wheels. It kept us safe. When Drew came back after the year, we got orders to New Mexico and off we went in our blue van. We were driven off the road in it one year by a car who would have pulled right into us if we hadn't swerved. We had been out getting things for A.J.'s birthday party. It wasn't drivable for a while but we got it fixed and it was back home with us in no time. I can't even count all the trips to and from Ohio we've made in that van. In New Mexico, we took that van when I was in labor with Riley and then Zachery, to the hospital where they were born. We added more car seats so that at one time we had all five....a couple of them, booster seats. But the van is large and we had no problem fitting the entire family, including our dog and cat. We sang in the van, laughed, yelled, cried and fought in it. As I said, it is part of the family and like all families, it shared sadness with us as well as joy. When we moved to Virginia and had been here a while, our dog, Bingo (being 13) got sick and it was time to tell him goodbye. All the kids wanted to go to the vet so we loaded them up in the van. When we got the the vet's, they were expecting us. The assistants came out to the van and offered to help him be at peace right there, surrounded by family. We chose not to do that though and the three oldest and I went inside to hold him and stroke him and say goodbye. See, that van's been through it all with our family. And, now, the entire roof is rusted. We've started repairing the rusty spot on the front end so it is gray from the primer. The inside of the door has been stripped down because sometimes the door handles don't work. Drew has replaced them over and over again. So, to a lot of people, it's probably an eye sore. But, when I look at it, I see the last 16 years, full of memories and times that mean everything to me. It's a lot like a person....not in the same shape it was once in, falling apart here and there and needing lots of love and attention to get it back to looking new. But, I can't part with it. For me it's like looking at a very old man, balding, bent over and a bit gray. But, it's still one of the Friend Family and I can't wait to see it looking shiny and new again! Until then, we hold out hope that the roof doesn't rust through and that the frame stays together. The road trips are over for now....it deserves the rest. It's been loyal and steadfast and I am grateful for the years we've had.