Day 14 in the Nester's 31 Day Writing Challenge, and my fingers have been tickling all day to type and tell a bit more of our story. But instead of typing, I was sitting. Sitting for hours in the Motor Vehicle Department so my beautiful Claire could take her driving test for her long-anticipated license.
Seriously, we were there when the doors opened this morning only to join an already lengthy waiting line. But still, we thought it couldn't be that bad. We were so early, right? Three hours in, I began to get worried. And by the fourth hour sent her to see where she was in the pile (we had been through two steps and were just waiting on the actual test.). The news was not good. But we had so much time invested already. The thought of leaving and starting all over with the lengthy process did not seem like a wise option. So we stayed.
And we stayed.
And we stayed.
But walking out of that office with the paper-version of her Driver's License at the SIX HOUR mark made it almost worth it. Kind of. (Bless her heart, you would think after six hours they would have been able to give her the real thing!)
She has promised her brothers she will drive them anywhere they want to go. I have a feeling they will hold her to it. But they really shouldn't worry -- she has been taking care of her brothers as long as I can remember:
August 13, 2000 -- "Claire-bear is doing well and bless her heart, becomes more nurturing to her brothers everyday! She just loves them. On Friday, we were attending a Bible Study and apparently one of the children in her room tried to take Benjamin's toy...she told me that she told the boy to "Give that back to Benjamin right now" (complete with finger-wagging and the other hand on her hip)!! I think she will show little mercy in defending her brothers...and though I pray for a sweet spirit I can't help but give thanks for her and her protective nature toward them!"
Being the only triplet without Cerebral Palsy has unique challenges, unusual responsibilities and produces an extraordinary set of gifts. Being the only girl -- well, that does the same. Little girl could then -- and can now -- take her brothers' toys, force them to let Barbie kiss Luke Skywalker, and boss them around like nobody's business. But if anyone else tried to take a toy, use an accessible swing, or treat their brothers as anything but amazing, and Claire would turn on her protective sister bear that gives my Mama Bear a run for my money!
There are emotions to wrestle for me tonight. Similar emotions to the ones I wrestled the day my little 3-year-old Claire wagged her fingers in protection of the boys. I would prefer that the boys' toys would not have needed protection. I would prefer not to have needed the accessible swings. And yes, I would prefer that all three had taken that driving test today.
But here, this challenge, is about learning to count what really counts. And what really counts is that I have these amazing children. What really counts is that Mason heal his hip so that he can eventually also get his driver's license.
What really really counts is that today is a celebration of a wonderful young woman who achieved a right of passage. Claire can drive. She did it.
And I have no doubt that she is already counting the places she can go with her brothers in tow!
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