Despite having personal experience with horses, my anxiety as a mom was “next level.” Accidents happen. This is a sport where the “ball” has a mind of its own.
Our daughter has dabbled in barrel racing, dressage, horsemanship, team competition, gymkhana, and more because why not try “all of the things” on horseback?
Today, six years later, our daughter still rides and shows horses. My anxiety is a bit more manageable since she has grown up and learned to do many things on her own. I breathed a little easier … for a short time.
In February of this year, our daughter turned 15-and-a-half years old. On the hunt for more independence, she asked to take her driving permit test on that very day.
Welcome back, anxiety.
She went from horse power of one, to horse power of — I don’t know, a lot more (my husband is the “car guy” in the family) — on her first crack at the Ohio Learner’s Permit exam.
“I’ll drive home,” I told her, not yet ready to let her put herself and others at risk on a busy road.
Over the last year or so, I have let her drive our up and down the driveway of the farm. She has also learned the basics of driving on farm equipment. So, she’s not a total rookie, but public roads are just a different scenario.
We survived driver training with our boys years ago, but we still get nervous when they are traveling.
“It’s not you we don’t trust, it’s the other drivers,” we always tell them.
But now the Baby of The Family is on the road, and even her big brothers are a little antsy.
She now has several hours of driving under her belt but it has not come without some commentary and mild panic.
“Do not turn so sharply. You are not barrel racing around light posts!”
“Stop. STOP. STOP!!!”
“Stay in your lane. In. Your. LANE!”
While we do look forward to her being able to drive herself to school, practices and the farm (and having the occasional personal Uber driver), the never ending round-about of parental worry continues.
And although similar to riding a gymkhana pattern on a horse, the roundabouts — which seem to be popping up everywhere — have so far been the most challenging thing to explain to a new driver.
Motherhood, Part II, is a recurring column in the News-Sun.