Our Beloved, Beautiful, Velveteen Van

"You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. 

But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand. 

He didn't mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery had make him Real, and when you are Real, shabbiness doesn't matter."

―from Margery Williams', The Velveteen Rabbit

Dented and dinged on every quarter panel....

With a biographical back-end...

In January, thieves robbed her of her original 2004 catalytic converter.
We got her a new one, and had it painted proudly with her VIN to ideally prevent another gross violation. Shortly thereafter, her transmission became irreparably slippy.
Her trusted doctors, the mechanics at Mercer and Woodson, shared the news tenderly. It was time.

For weeks thereafter, she sat outside our home. Silent. Unmoving, until this afternoon. 

Her spirit of service and self-sacrifice will go on.
Her parts will be parceled out to help Habitat for Humanity.
She's The Giving Van.  
 

She-Twin (home from college for the summer): "Mom, are you actually misty?" 
Me (a truth-teller): "Yes, a little." 

Good-bye and thank you, you banged-up beauty. You served us well. You were Real.

-Cheryl