Ummm--WHAT?!? I...uh...

I spoke with my mom yesterday. I was trying to arrange a time when she could give me a ride from home to work so I could get the truck back to my local shop, and she said, 'your father and I would like to talk to you about the truck.' Now, I am an adult and have been out of their house for a long time, but that phrase still made me edgy. I'm thinking to myself, 'geez, I've been working like a Roman orchard slave on that thing, and they're going to criticize how I take care of it?'

So I carefully (and disguised my reflexive defensiveness)(ew, is that even a phrase?) answered 'what exactly do you want to talk about?' She mentioned that they were concerned that I was driving this thing around, it was an old truck, they wanted me to be safe, they didn't think I should dump any more money into it, etc. I have little in the way of finances--they know this. So I said (again, measuredly), 'what are you saying? are you talking about a new vehicle?'

Yes. They want to talk to me about getting something else. I go over there tonight to have dinner, and put Thing 1 and Thing 2 in the back/play room, and they basically give me a budget and tell me they are moving money around to help me out. I was stunned. My parents have been there for me in times of need, but they are not hand-out parents. We talked about possible makes & models (I had been researching a while ago just for kicks) and they basically said, 'get what you need. we aren't going to support something ridiculous.' I reminded them of what I have been driving for ten years, and they smiled and seemed to take comfort from it.

I still can't find the words. I am so grateful.