First Accident

I figured Keri Lynn would be a pretty good driver. She's got a good head on her shoulders. She's careful and observant. She's responsible. She's in Driver's Ed this semester. She'll be eligible to get her driver's license in six months, since she's 17. The 15 and 16-year-olds have to wait a year.

Keith and I had both taken turns taking her out to drive. She drove to church several times. On Saturday, she drove to El Charro's where we had lunch. She seemed to be doing pretty good. Maybe a little shaky on the turns, but we were working on it.

So it came as kind of a shocker, when she pulled away from church yesterday after we'd both attended the women's luncheon, and side-swiped a parked car. Just creamed it.

Fortunately for us, the car belonged to a sweet family from church. We got a police report to send in to our insurance companies. Sally, the owner of the car, called her husband Rob to come over and help us with us. He told Keri Lynn that it wasn't anything like his first accident when he ran into a truck and made it overturn!

In fact, we got quite a few "first accident" stories from the many on-lookers going home from church. I told her mine, too. "Remember when I ran into a semi? This is nothing compared to that!"

"But Mom, I just made one little mistake and look what happened!"

And there's the rub in driving. All it takes is one little mistake.

Because we live in Small Town America, THREE police cars answered the call. Keri Lynn said she felt like a criminal seeing all the flashing lights! The policeman helping while the other one was writing the report asked her if she had been doing anything stupid.

Keri Lynn said, "Well, yeah! I just ran into a parked car!"

He said, "No, I don't mean that. I've seen stupid. This was just an accident." And then he and the other cop proceeded to tell their own "first accident" stories and what kind of cars they learned to drive in.

There were a lot of teen tears. The issue won't be resolved for a while. I don't know if her permit will be in danger or not. On Rob's insistence, Keri Lynn drove home. He said it was important for her to get back behind the wheel, so that's what we did.

And now you will see one of the many reasons why I love my husband so very much . . .

Keri Lynn pulled into the driveway and saw her Daddy coming to meet us at the end of the driveway. "Oh, boy," she said.

She got out to tell him that the damage was on the other side of the car, but he came and gave her a big hug of assurance and made sure she was all right.

That is a picture of a man.

She cried.

It wasn't until later, after she'd gone in to change to go to a discipleship group that night that Keith even bothered to look at the damage and ask me about the damage on the other car. "It actually isn't too bad," he told me. "It will be touch-up work for us."

I'm afraid that poor Sally's car won't fare as well. But, we're all glad that it wasn't more serious. No one is hurt. And Keri Lynn has learned an important lesson about the responsibility of driving.