Honoring a Truck Full of Memories

The GMC Canyon came into our lives in January of 2005. The Huz had always wanted a truck and since we were already looking into purchasing another vehicle, we thought it was the perfect time to acquire one that was larger than what we were normally used to. From day 1, he was loved. What a gorgeous beautiful Truck he was. 

About 10 months after Truck became part of the family, I was ready to give birth to the Youngest, as my water broke in the middle of the night. This may be a little bit of "too much information", but hey it's all a reality of the birth process:  I was still leaking as we gathered our belongings to head to the hospital. I was already feeling all the emotions of giving birth and seeing my new baby very soon, but I was also worried that I would get fluid all over the still-very-brand-new truck. The Huz put towels on my seat and the floor to help protect it. I can see us in my mind nervous and excited driving to the hospital. So yes, the Truck was a big part of the wonderful memories associated with the birth of the Youngest.

And he continued to be an integral part of our lives as The Huz' used it to commute about an hour each way for work for several years.  Truck also took us to Legoland which is about a 2 hour drive each way almost every weekend, for a couple of years, when we had annual passes. He took us to Las Vegas, Big Bear, hauled the kids around wherever they needed to go and all the things a wonderful reliable vehicle needed to do. Along with his elegance, he was also strong as he hauled many of our big-size purchases, like whatever lumber pieces The Huz needed for projects, or whatever major appliances we needed to transport. The Huz was always so proud whenever Truck transported something heavy or huge.

17 years later with all the wear and tear a vehicle goes through, we had to make the heartbreaking decision to put the Truck to rest since his engine had finally died. It was not an easy decision. With all the sentimentality it held for everyone in our family, we tried to out weigh the cost of the repairs with the value of investing in saving him and we just couldn't conclude that it would be the right decision financially for the family. Again, it was a very difficult decision and I feel like we still agonize over it even though there's no turning back. 

On the very last day we had him, we were overwhelmed with emotions. I knew it was going to be hard, especially for The Huz, but I still wasn't prepared for the intensity of the hurt. To others, the Truck may have been just a scrap of metal, an inanimate object. But to us, he's a symbol of so many precious memories, moments, sharing in our joys...wonderful conversations during long drives and even short ones. Listening to music together, even if The Huz would rather turn the radio off. The Truck kept us safe all these years. I will always remember the Truck fondly and if there is ever such a thing as a "vehicle heaven" I hope he's there, living his best life remembering the family that loved him. 

Farewell, Mighty Beautiful Truck, you're in our hearts forever. 💛