farewell to a good friend

We are selling our Jeep today. The fellow buying it is on his way to the bank as I write. Our reasons for selling were sound and practical, but that surely doesn't change the sadness Tuan and I both feel over saying good-bye! It has been such a constant part of our friendship, courtship, engagement and marriage. I told Tuan that as silly as it sounds, I feel as though I'm losing part of him! (Pregnancy hormones are lovely things)

I remember when he first got the Jeep: September of 2000. It was the year that our friendship began to grow beyond mere acquaintances into "really good friends" and the Jeep was always involved. It came with him to Florida to visit me that Christmas when we were still "just friends." Tuan had "Strider" on his tag which was such a metaphor for him. Over the course of time, my dear, faithful (baptist), friend grew into this very dear, godly, (reformed) man who I couldn't picture spending the rest of my life without--my Aragorn! The first time he ever said "I love you" was as he was getting into the Jeep. (Funny story behind that) We drove around Baton Rouge in it, looking for engagement rings, and of course, that was the vehicle of choice the day he proposed and we drove all over Columbia telling everyone our news. (He had driven to Florida in it the day before to ask Dad's permission) The semester before we got married, it was the most exciting feeling to find the Jeep in the driveway on Friday nights, and of course, we left the church in it after our wedding and took it on the honeymoon! Everyone we met in Brevard, NC asked if we were the honeymooners in the Jeep.

The Jeep hauled around our three dogs as we explored the backroads all around Mt. Olive and I drove it endlessly to Hattiesburg and back for work. I actually rescued a girl from the side of the highway with it (she was being assaulted by her ex and thanks to the Jeep's handling, I was able to get away--there's a whole other story for ya there). There were times when I didn't feel the love--no cruise control, getting Johnny in and out of the carseat when our other car had broken down, the wind in one's hair is not always fun--but my goodness, I love that car.

The Car Talk guys say that the extreme devotion that Jeep owner's have for their cars is inexplicable--it is! We will miss it terribly and hopefully one day there will be another Wrangler in our driveway, but the memories are what really counts--good, good memories--they are what lasts.