gracie - the little white corolla that keeps giving

about eight and half years ago my grandmother passed away. she wasn't sick, she was young in grandma terms, she was vibrant and all about her family. she was taken in a car accident one afternoon - it was devistating to us all. at the time i was in college and i will never forget hearing my father's voice telling me over the phone and the emotions that followed. we all found our way to the bay area and all congregated at her house. stunned, grieving, trying to figure out how to keep moving without her.

she was the glue that kept us all connected. as we all stood some months later spreading her ashes we stood around and tried to convince each other, truly believing, that she loved each one of us the best.

even though her death was sudden and totally unexpected she had it all planned out for her children. to divvy up the belongings they were to play a game. each of her 5 children would draw a number out of a hat. whoever got #1 would pick first and so on down the line. re-pick numbers and do it again until everything was gone. she had a little white toyota corolla also. put the numbers in and whoever picked out the #1 got the car.

i forget who pulled the number. it wasn't my dad. but after they picked it, it was said that i should get the car. and so i came to be the owner of 'gracie'.

every car needs a name - her's was gracie. after the car accident i knew i needed grace while driving. and i got something i didn't deserve in that little car. i thought the name fit.

she was in perfect condition with 43,000 miles. every time i got in her i thought of my wonderful grandma. i drove her until i gave birth to isaiah. when matt and i bought our van, we decided to pass her on, as she had been passed to me. adam and emily had just gotten married. emily and mom came to l.a. to pick her up and drove her back to the northwest. she has been with adam and emily until this last weekend.

14 of us gathered together this past weekend for gracie to be handed down to another grandchild. my cousin austin gets his license in 19 days. adam cleaned her up, handed over the keys and signed the title, passing her on once again. we all went outside as austin saw her and drove her for the first time. the one stipulation put on austin, by his mother, was he couldn't change her name. the three, most recent owners, posed for a picture in front of her.

that night at dinner, as we toasted, one toast was to grandma and her provision to this family that continues to this day.