Driving, licences and letting go.

In the morning my eldest son goes for his Learners test. Just as I prepared to give up my motorbike (she was more than just a bike really, more like a companion) I guess I must begin the age-old task of preparing to see my car disappear.

All my life I have tried very hard to teach my children to be independent. Now the eldest is really becoming independent - using my car! Not too sure I want him to have that much independence.

It is the beginning of a new relationship. I have seen it before, but I guess we never are quite ready for it. Soon my son will not need me for money (can't wait for that), for advice, for transport (I might need transport from him) and so on.

I am beginning to enjoy this new phase where we can relate as adults. Father and son. What a gift!

"If music be the food of love, play on"

I have always loved Orsino's statement in Act 1 scene 1 of Twelth Night. I guess it stems from my love for music as well as my enjoyment of Shakespeare's plays.

I recently celebrated my mother's 72nd birthday with her and my father. When she turned 70 my father bought her an electric keyboard. You see my mother has always loved music but never played anything. At 70 she received her first musical instrument!

I bought my first guitar when I was 22. I still own and love my Yamaha acoustic guitar. At the age of 40 I bought my first piano. At the age of 46 I purchased my second guitar.

And now I think about my children. We purchased a wonderful Yamaha drum kit for my eldest son - he was 15 at the time. My twelve year old son has just received his SECOND electric guitar - an Ibanez Iceman400 ! I could simply say that I am old and say the young people of today are spoiled, but I am not old (if you listen closely you can hear the gentle strains of "Forever young" playing in the background). They are not spoiled - they simply are better at an earlier age than my mother was, than I was, than the previous generation was at the same age.

I guess I am enjoying the fact that the youth of today are so willing to explore new horizons! Almost all of my children's friends play musical instruments. The food of love is being explored by many more young people than ever before! I am not always a fan of some of the modern musical styles (just can't beat the 60s folk and 70s rock can you!) but I find it exciting that they are enjoying their music so much! Rock on !