The Driveway

We’ve had lots of snow and ice recently, making my driveway a frozen mess. But every time I look at that driveway ---- snow-covered or not ---- I shake my head in wonder. For me, it’s a symbol of lessons learned, as well as a source of pride. Let me explain.

Several years ago, before my husband died, our steep, long, and aging driveway was in bad shape and needed a facelift. We debated on types and colors of concrete, but then Tim decided that it would be ridiculously expensive to rip up the entire driveway and start over with regular concrete. He decided that we could use those little river rock pebble stones as a cover up for the concrete that had cracks and pockmarks in it. It worked well for a little while, but as time went on, sealing it and maintaining it became a problem. We couldn’t even find a company to agree to sealing it for us. That darn driveway became what I thought was an eyesore, as well as a safety issue.  

After Tim died, it took a couple of years, lots of phone calls and emails of recommendations from friends I trust, a slew of estimates, and wrangling with contractors during the pandemic, to finally get it replaced with … just regular concrete. I’m actually proud of my driveway now. And woe be to anyone who puts tire marks on it.

I’ve decided that pebble stone driveway may have been the only unfortunate financial decision my husband ever made. But it gave me the opportunity to learn about being persistent, being patient, and yes, being a little bit more independent during a time I thought I’d never see through.

I saved a piece of that river rock driveway as a reminder that mistakes can, indeed, teach us a few things. And I might be the only person on the planet who has saved a piece of driveway as a cherished memento.