Driving Miss Daisy

We own a nursery and landscaping business. I was supposed to work at the hospital last night but the census had gone down a little and I was called off. I was planning to do some mundane housekeeping chores here at home and was happily doing said chores when my mother-in-law (who lives on the nursery property) called and invited us to dinner. I hate to cook and always jump at the chance to eat at my mother-in-law's. Jimmy was already at the "farm" and Austin and I planned to go down around 6 o'clock. I decided around 4 o'clock to just go on down and enjoy the pretty weather walking around the farm.

Once we got there, Austin wanted to give me a ride in the "Gator". He spends a lot of time there with his Grandma when I'm working, so he is quite adept at being the little farm boy. The first thing we did was check in on the new kittens in the barn. I was instantly sorry that I'd neglected to bring my camera. The kittens are about 5 weeks old and Austin has been very patiently waiting for the ok to pick one of them up. Yesterday I told him he could hold them. I don't know if there is anything more precious than watching a child  cuddling a 5 week old kitten under their chin.. He was mesmerized. I was charmed beyond all reason. He was so tender with the little thing. If ever I have missed the perfect photograph, this was it. I must return with my camera and capture this on film.

After playing with the kittens for a while he began begging me to let him take me for a ride on the gator. I have heard him mention lately that he has been driving the gator around the farm, but I thought that meant that his Dad had allowed him to sit on his lap and "steer". Oh no! He's learned to DRIVE the gator. He took great delight in buzzing me up and down between tree rows dodging the irrigation towers. He did an excellent job!! He was so proud of himself. I began to think about how we take so many things in life for granted. How to all of us "grown-ups" driving is just a necessary thing we do. But to a child of 7 it's the ultimate daring thing to do. The look on that child's face as he maintained complete and utter control over that machine and his mother's heart was priceless. And, if I'd had my camera with me as all good mother's should, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about.