Buckle Up, Lucy

I said goodbye to my 15-year relationship with Lexy. She never gave me grief and took me wherever I needed to go. You see, Lexy was my car, a 2011 Lexus RX450H SUV, and she was nothing short of faithful.

She hauled me back and forth to my cabin in the pines, always packed to the gills with supplies and ready for whatever the road had in store. She was the unofficial family Uber for airport runs, a road trip veteran, and a beloved member of the grandkid crew. Each grandchild claimed their own spot in the cubby behind my seat, storybooks on one side, snacks on the other, for what they proudly called their “Special Grandma Day.” Lexy never complained. Not once.

She never growled, never made strange sounds, and I’m proud to say we survived fifteen years together without a single accident. A few speeding tickets, yes, but I take full responsibility for those. Lexy was just doing what she was told.

And now, here I sit behind the wheel of my brand-new Lexus. I call her Lucy.

I went with the smaller SUV this time, the NX350H, sleeker, lighter, and apparently smarter than I am. She doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of her predecessor, but what she lacks in cargo space she more than makes up for in technology. So much technology. My technology expert, Mia, was a saint, patiently walking me through how to turn on the radio twice, and I suspect I’ll need at least one more tutorial before I’m operating this thing with any real confidence.

Then there was the test drive. My salesman, Suk, bravely volunteered to ride shotgun. God bless him. I think I drive remarkably well for someone approaching 80, but I completely understand why he was gripping that door handle. Some people just aren’t cut out for adventure.

Lucy is sitting in my garage right now, shiny and new and full of promise, waiting to prove herself worthy of the legacy Lexy left behind.

All I can say is buckle up, Lucy. This could be a bumpy ride.