Blessings

This past weekend was nothing like I expected our weekend to be. It began on Thursday, really, when I noticed floaters in my right eye and was scared enough to call my ophthalmologist's office to schedule an appointment for the next day. I'd have to get my eyes fully dilated, which meant my dad became my designated driver for the day and my parents' place became my home again until I could see well enough to drive home. Although I would have rather had no medical issues, I can see now that having to take Friday off was a blessing.

After my doctor's appointment, which confirmed that my retinas were still attached and these floaters were simply an inconvenience, my dad took me out for coffee. We've had plenty of "dates" at Dunkin' Donuts, and we've had plenty of great discussions while sitting among the donuts. Last Friday was no exception. I'd mentioned that Dave and I were starting to look at cars because our Sebring was requiring more and more repairs lately. The latest sound it was making was of metal scraping against metal whenever we made a right turn. My dad, in his usual, wise way, helped me think through the situation and weigh the pros and cons of keeping our old car or buying a new one. I started wondering if Dave and I would be buying a car the next day.

Once my dad and I got back to my parents' house, he grabbed the auto section of The Chicago Tribune, and I took my place in front of the computer (which I could see clearly enough). We looked up many car deals, including one for a Hyundai Tucson. I had secretly wished for an SUV as our next car, but I knew Dave was more interested in cars that didn't guzzle so much gas.* (He's a smart guy!)

Imagine my surprise when, upon returning home, I found the exact same Tucson for even less than the original deal and Dave loved it! He asked for an e-quote, we considered the financial aspects of buying a car, and then we hosted our Burns Supper, all while being giddy about this potential new ride.

The next morning, we got up early enough to arrive at the dealership right after it opened. Armed with the knowledge that it was already a great deal, we took a test drive to make sure it was also a great vehicle, then haggled with the salesman to get a bit more off the price. By noon, we drove off the lot in our new car, christened Churchill a few days later.


It may sound cliche, but God truly blessed us with this car. Through all these months of going back and forth, I never imagined we'd be able to buy a brand-new car (it had only 27 miles on it). While I miss my Sebring, I'm grateful to have a dependable car once again. My Sebring got me through years of long commutes and driving to the city for grad school. She served me, and later Dave, very well over the last 7 years, but it was time to move on. Now we have a car that will hopefully be with us as we expand our family in the coming years. It will be neat to see the memories that Churchill will bring in the next few years.

*The Tucson is technically a CUV, so its fuel economy should be much better than those massive SUVs.