Letting go of a Memory. . .

  Yesterday we gave my mother's car away. It will be sold at a auction Thursday and the proceeds will go to help autistic children.
  This car and I have a long history. Mama purchased her new car in 1991. It had plush wine for the interior. At times I would get a whiff of Mama's perfume, 'Woman,' when I opened her car door. Tami has caught the odor too.  It pleased us to think that perhaps Mama was paying us a visit. Perhaps she wanted to go shopping with us. Whatever it was, it made for a good day.
   When Mama was hospitalized for Alzheimer's, Daddy parked her car, bought him a truck and saved 'Betty's car'. We knew she would never come home but selling her car was out of the question.  Daddy gave me her car about three years before I took it. I had a good vehicle and I knew Mama hated the gravel road I lived on. I didn't think she would want her car driven daily on such a road. Finally, Daddy told me if I didn't take the car he had a man who wanted to buy it and he was going to sell the car for $5,000.  I decided to take it. 
   My blazer had to be fixed and Mama's car was driven a lot that summer. In fact, I loved driving her. She drove like a new car and I loved her. We took her to California. From there we drove up to Washington and across the old West. When we crossed the "Bridge of the God's" connecting Oregon and Washington. In Oregon we accidentally got in an antique car show line up. That poor car had just driven about 700 miles that day. She was almost as dirty and tired asTommy and I were. To add insult to injury, some old lady yelled, "Well, for heaven's sake, why didn't they wash and polish that pretty car before they got in the parade. PARADE?????  Who knew???. We got out of that line up fast. All we wanted was a room and something to eat.  I wrote a blog about that afternoon but I don't remember the title but I sure do remember the day! Thank God for memories.
  We finally decided to donate Mama's car to a charity. She would be proud of helping Autistic children.  Yesterday, the man showed up and hauled Mama's car to the auction block. It will be sold Thursday.  My eyes misted up a little bit as her car left. We made a lot of memories in that car. I think Mama would approve of our decision. Sometimes we have to let go of a memory. Yesterday was such a day.