Relationships we have with our partners are similar to the ones we have with our cars. When we buy a brand new car we are filled with excitement as we drive off the showroom floor. For the next year we take extra special care of it. We hand wash and wax it weekly taking extra care not to scratch the flawless paint. We take care when parking to ensure no one could accidently bump it. We only use premium gas and take it regularly for oil changes and scheduled maintenance. We would never let anyone eat in it. We don’t slam the doors or leave it unlocked. It is our baby. We are proud of it and take pride in preserving its beauty.
A few years later the newness begins to wear off. The shine begins to fade along with our excitement. We start using regular gas. We begin to skip regular maintenance checks. We barely make time to drive it through an automated car wash. We begin eating in it and tossing trash onto the floorboard. We begin parking in tight spots and often leave it unlocked.
We start to look around and notice all the new shiny cars being driven around us. We begin to fantasize about getting one for ourselves. We start to visit local dealerships and consider taking one on a test drive. Finally, we give into our desire and climb into one for a quick ride. We are excited and can’t help but play with all the new buttons and updated features. After test driving a few, we get back into our older car and are overcome with disappointment. We look around the dash and grimace at the outdated buttons and features that surround us. This is not what we want. Some of us can’t control our desires and give up on our old car. We happily trade it in and find ourselves driving around in a new model. Our once beloved car is long forgotten.
Some of us take a different approach. We begin to resurrect our cars. We take it in for maintenance. Maybe get it new shocks, new brakes, and maybe even a new paint job. We plug along for years with one thing breaking after another. We become frustrated with all the money, time and expense the car is requiring. We continue anyway. We once loved this car.
If we are one of the extremely lucky ones and we manage to control our desires something truly remarkable may happen. One day we walk out into the garage, and what do we see? We see a classic. She has aged gracefully. We see our baby in a whole new light. She is beautiful, weathered and worn from the many miles we have journeyed together. Memories of these journeys begin to warm your heart. Remember when we got stuck on the beach at midnight? Remember the road trip to the mountains? Remember the backseat rendezvous?
We begin to appreciate her once again. We begin to take care of her as we did the first day we drove her off the showroom floor. We are gentle with her. We gladly take care of all her needs. She brings you comfort and contentment that nothing else could replicate. Even a new shiny model with all the bells and whistles doesn’t compare to her. She is yours, all yours. She is a prize well worth all the heartache and disappointment along the way. She is your best friend and faithful companion and she was well worth the wait.
A Closer Look 