There is a reason why majority of houses in this side of the world has a written reminder on their garage doors that says “Do not block the driveway”. Some car owners are careless on where they park their cars. In times when you are in a rush due to an emergency, you cannot take your car out because another car is blocking the garage door or driveway.

Let me tell you of the same predicament we are always in. Our house is in a busy street. Our neighbor is a dentist and the front of his house is converted into a dental clinic. Naturally, when he has a number of regulars come in for their appointments, parking space becomes a problem. We often find a car parked in front of our driveway even when we already put a “no parking” sign and a “do not block the driveway” warning sign in front of the house. It is a lot of hassle when we need to go out. I have to go find the car owner for the car to be removed so we can go take our own SUV out.

When my Dad was alive, he was our guard. Since he always parked himself near the door, when he would hear a car parking, he’d go and check to make sure it’s not parking in front of the driveway. He’s very protective of our residence he was the one who put up the signs. He even went and get driveway sealing to make sure we are safe when our vehicles are being driven out of the garage.

It is a good thing that my Dad trained our dogs to bark when a car or a motorcycle is parking in front of our house. Now, we know when to go out to check. I already talked to the dentist next door. I told him to gently tell his regular patients to park somewhere else and not on our driveway. He already told his regulars but there are still some who would ignore the reminder on our garage door. I told the dentist next door that next time one of his patients would park on our driveway and the car is blocking our path when we need to go out, I’d call a towing company to get the car towed.

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We have a sport utility vehicle that my siblings and I got for our Dad back in 2014. It was a limited edition Ford Everest that my Dad loved so much he took care of it like it was his own child. Even after years of using it, the SUV is still in very good condition. He would not let a weekend go by without cleaning it, either wet or dry cleaning. Once a year, he would make sure to bring the SUV over to a mobile car detailing in Toronto to get it thoroughly checked and cleaned including the interior of the vehicle. Change oil, wheel alignment were just two of the additional services he would avail of once a year as well. He was that vehicle owner who took car safety very seriously.

My Dad was our designated driver. He would drive us around, to work, to school (for my nephews and for my sister who teaches at a nearby school), and to anywhere around the city for errands. He would drive us and accompany us to the mall should there was a need to go there. He never complained because he just loved driving and loved being with all of us. He kept on telling us that he felt at ease when he knew our location especially when he was with anyone of us outside the house. He was our protector.

My Dad passed away March of 2020. Before the pandemic broke out, he passed away too soon. He was just a little over sixty years old! But, I guess, that is life for everyone of us. Alive and kicking today, could be gone tomorrow in a blink of an eye.

Now, our dilemma: only my youngest sibling, my brother, and his wife can drive the SUV. But they have their own car that we now use on almost a daily basis or when we need to run errands. The SUV is now sitting in our garage. We are in dire need of tips on how to maintain an SUV. We turn it on from time to time and we make sure to get it cleaned but it is now being driven like it used to when Dad was still here. My siblings and I talked about getting it sold but sentimental value would always win over practicality. We did not want to part ways with the vehicle because it was Dad’s. It was like selling our father in a way. We did not want to see it go to waste so it is either I will enroll in driving school or really sell it to someone we know.

We will decide soonest. I am hoping we can finally set aside our sentimentality and sell the vehicle so other people can still use it.