More Than Just a Car

Mar 28

I fell in love with the Volkswagen Golf when I was a teenager—drawn in by its clever ads and the quiet confidence of its design. It felt thoughtful. Intentional.

So when it was time to buy my first car, it was an easy choice - a secondhand Volkswagen Golf.

And just before little N was born, we decided to upgrade to a brand new Golf, one with all the safety features.

Little N’s very first car ride was in that Golf.
And he hated it. He would cry—loud, relentless, the kind that fills the whole car and leaves you helpless in the front seat. For the following 6 months, we were confined to a 20 min radius - which is not very far in a place like Melbourne.

I still remember our first road trip—to Bright, with his godparents.
He cried almost the entire way.
Eventually, exhaustion would win, and he’d fall asleep… only to wake and begin again.
But that season passed, like they always do.

And we’ve had many seasons since then.
Taking little N to the manual carwash during Covid lockdowns as an activity.
I remember reaching my hand back to little S’s hand while driving to comfort her.
Or how they would hug each other in the backseat after school.
And lately, their daily high fives out the window at school drop offs.

So when it came time to sell the car, it was hard to say goodbye.

Not because of what it was—
but because of everything it quietly held.