Clara in the front seat!

Clara had a tough day at school. She learned that one of her friends was moving away at the end of the year.

I understand this pain well. Many of my friends have moved away over the years, and it’s awful. People placing their own lifestyle and career choices over their ability to spend time with me is inexplicable and foolish, but thus far, I haven’t been able to stop any of them from leaving.

Understanding her pain, I agreed to take her to Panera for dinner.

The kids love Panera, but Elysha and I try to avoid it whenever possible simply because we end up paying $413 for a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of macaroni and cheese that would’ve cost us less than a dollar to make at home.

But money be damned. My daughter was sad so Panera it is!

As we left the restaurant an hour later and were crossing the parking lot, Clara said, “Hey Dad, can I sit in the front seat?”

“No,” I said. “You know you need sit in the back.”

“Actually, Mom looked it up,” she said, “I’m old enough and tall enough and weigh enough to sit in the front seat now. ”

“Really,” I asked.

“Yup.”

“Okay,” I said, but in my mind, I was thinking, “We’re really doing this? This is the moment you move from the backseat to the front seat? Am I really ready for this?”

I was thrilled when we could finally turn Clara’s infant car seat around so that she was facing forward. I was overjoyed when Clara migrated from the car seat that required me to strap her in like a NASA astronaut to something she could do herself. These were all positive steps forward.

But from the back to the front?

I felt like this was a momentous occasion. A rite of passage. No one had prepared me for it. No one had warned me that today was the day when my little girl and I would be driving side by side. I wondered if we should wait until Elysha was present to experience the moment, too. Would she be angry about missing this first ride in the front seat?

Ultimately, I agreed. Clara climbed into the passenger seat, buckled up, and smiled. I took a photo of her, hoping this would be enough for Elysha, and we were off.

Halfway home, I asked her how it felt to be sitting up front. She told me that she was a little nervous but feeling good.

I wasn’t so sure how I was feeling about this development.

A few days later, I’m honestly still not sure.