Today at 4 AM we got up, loaded the wagon with suitcases, and took her to the airport to fly away to her first job as a college graduate.

Eighteen years ago, the white 245 still had the new car smell when it took her to her first day of preschool.

Then there were all the field trips with excited classmates in the jump seat, headed for the museum or the state park. On weekends, it was loaded with gear and changes of clothing for family trips to the mountains or to the beach. Several times we loaded it to the roof and added a roof rack for trips to visit family in the midwest.

It picked up the wooden swingset/fort at Costco, and when the girls outgrew the swingset and decided to dismantle it and give it to a young family, it hauled the swingset to its new home.

It took her to grade school every day, and in high school, she took the keys and drove herself to school, as well as loads of cheerleaders and swimmers and choir singers to extracurricular events.

This morning, on the way to the airport, we mused about all the other early morning trips the 245 had made this trip to the airport, and how it waited in the economy parking for us to return from our european adventures or our latin american mission trips, and how it took our tired bodies safely back home after each trip.

Today it came home with one less person.

Hard to drive with tears in your eyes.