Test driving at Toyota with a wonderful saleswoman, Brita

Mama and I have been struggling with transportation. The problem is that her walker doesn’t fit well in our tiny car. I’ve been hurting my back to load/unload us, the walker, and our wee dogs—and forget anything else. We simply cannot keep going like this, and it’s affecting our ability to go anywhere or get the care we need.

I spent countless hours researching safe, reliable vehicles that would easily fit Mama’s mobility devices and that are at a better height for her to get in/out. After narrowing it down, today was the big day of measuring and testing in person.

Mama with a Toyota RAV-4

First, the trunk was a great size and height, but the seat was too low. Then the seat was the perfect height, but the trunk was way too high to load or reach the handle to close. Another had a surprisingly large and low trunk, but Mama struggled with the seat. We felt like Goldilocks. After trying an exhausting array of trunks and seats, we finally found the one that was the perfect trunk size and height and seat height for us: Toyota RAV-4! We also appreciated the various safety features and found it comfortable.

Today’s triumph was figuring out what works for us physically, though we’ve no idea how we’ll make it happen yet. Living on a small fixed income, we’re limited financially by the resale value of our beloved 13-year-old MINI Cooper. Next we’ll continue searching for any possible grants or vehicle donations and doing the dreaded—asking for help.

Today’s #OneGoodThing with Mama was doing our due diligence to determine which vehicles might fit our mobility needs! Many thanks to Brita at Freeman Toyota in Santa Rosa for her patience and assistance! What was your #OneGoodThing today? Please share in the comments! And remember, kindness is everything!

Day 35 of 365. And Now Totaling 2,227 Days In A Row. Here’s the first 366 and the following 365, as well as year three, year four, and year five, and year six of #OneGoodThing Daily!

On this day…

• 1 year ago: Lime tart in the sun
• 2 years ago: Get well/Galentine’s package
• 3 years ago: Sweetest stranger at our door
• 4 years ago: A great book in the warm sun
• 5 years ago: A friend who gets it
• 6 years ago: The little things