Dear keys,

Clink! Clink! The sounds of the keys rattle in my hand as I approach my car. The sound is like an alarm in my head reminding me to be cautious as I role down the road. The keys glare in the light like the sun on my windshield.

These special keys represent my freedom because in the past when I was a lot younger I had to constantly rely on my family to be taken to school or picked up from school or sports. As I sat on the sidewalk or maybe even in the school gym on cold days I constantly glared outside waiting for someone to come and pick me up .As minutes past sometimes even hours I waited and waited angrily for someone to come. I even called and sent messages to everyone in my family just wishing for someone to be there soon. But no matter how many times I tried to call nobody would come any sooner so I had no choice but to sit and wait patiently with absolutely nothing to do.

The keys which I have now were given to me by my grandpa for my first car. These keys not only give me the freedom I have always wanted but now I don’t have to rely on my family to pick me up on time. The keys allow me to travel any place I want without having to have one of my family members take me somewhere when they feel it is time to take me. As I put the keys in the ignition and listen to the roar of the engine underneath the hood I slowly begin to role steadily down the street cautious on every turn I make and every light I approach. As I drive past the leaf filled trees I feel the wind gust through my windows as I cruise on the freshly paved blacktop. As I approach the stop sign I slowly begin to stop, watching every move the other drivers make. I suddenly feel comfortable when the cars our out of site giving me the ok to proceed forward safely. I continue on until finally I approach my destination the school.

The keys also remind me to be cautious and responsible in everything I do and not to be in a hurry when I don’t need to be because you never know when something bad could happen. Suddenly a short bearded man approaches me with a rattling noise coming directly from his hand. He has a bright smile on his face like when a kid gets candy. This man tells me to open my hand and he slowly places the shiny silver keys in the palm of my hand watching the look on my face widen as I stare at the keys. He points to the car located on the street and then he looks up at me over his glasses and tells me that the keys and the car are mine as long as I take care of both of them and promise to be safe and responsible. I immediately turn and give him the biggest hug ever as I tell him how much I love and appreciate him for all he has done for me. He then begins to smile and laugh as I squeeze the life right out of him. He watches in amazement as I run to the car to test it out and see how much I like it. Then he says again to remember to do two things for him which is to be responsible and cautious always. I give him the promise of mine to do as he says and to always obey his rules. This man who still lives today I am proud to call my grandpa who many also call Shorty.

As I carry the keys which are rigid and shiny I always remember the memory of when my grandpa gave me the keys and believed in me to be responsible enough to drive alone. I continue to think of him and the things he told me to always remember which are be safe and responsible when driving. The symbolic weight of these keys are very heavy to me because it was one of the biggest things my grandpa has ever done for me and I know that if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have the freedom I have today. The keys are connected not only to my grandpa but to my whole family because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t realize the privilege and opportunity I have today and I probably wouldn’t have learned how to be a good driver. And I always know my family and my grandpa are there for me and thinking about me. That is why I carry the keys wherever I go whether it is physically or mentally in my head.