Amanda Lamb: Love letter to my almost-teen driver

No parent in Wake County could possibly have watched the coverage of the past two weeks where teenagers were involved in fatal crashes and not shed at least one tear.

Reading the headlines each morning felt like a gut punch thinking about young lives with so much potential unfulfilled. Next, my mind leaped to the parents who are experiencing an unimaginable tragedy that should never happen.

Children should never die before their parents.

For me, the stories are poignant because my older daughter will be getting her permit in January. I’ve heard from other parents of older children who have told me: At first you will hold your breath every time she gets behind the wheel of the car. You will stay up late on a weekend in order to hear her key turn in the door. You will demand that she lets you know when she gets somewhere safely and when she is leaving.

Now, after witnessing such loss, I wonder if I will do these things forever. Will I ever stop worrying? Does any parent ever stop worrying about his or her child driving?

So, I’ve been thinking about what I want to tell my daughter about driving. I’ve been composing this letter in my head. It will be placed in a photo album full of articles about traffic accidents involving young people. It’s something a parent who lost a child told me about years ago – collecting these articles and showing them to your new driver, not to scare them, but to show them the immense responsibility they are about to take on – their lives and the lives of others.