An 81-year-old grandmother surprised people when she showed up at a driving school to sign up for a course. People mocked her, claiming she would never make it, until they discovered why she was persistent in getting a license.
Lora Hudgens was an 81-year-old woman on a mission. Despite odds against her, she bravely enlisted in a course at a driving school alongside other hopefuls who were decades younger than her.
During her first day, her classmates, aged 16 to 24, wondered what an old lady like her would be doing there. They talked amongst themselves and whispered rudely about her.
Lora’s classmates wondered why she was seeking a driver’s license at her age. | Source: Pexels
“Let’s make a bet,” one of her classmates whispered to another. “She won’t make it past the written test.” They laughed as they said this, prompting others to chime in.
“She’s wasting her time and money on this course. They’ll never give her a license,” another said.
Lora ignored her classmates and kept to herself most of the time. She was focused on passing the course, so she listened to the instructor attentively.
Lora stayed on course despite her classmates’ doubts. | Source: Pexels
After completing the required hours for the course, Lora’s classmates were surprised that she made it, just like the rest of them. She was awarded a certificate and was going to join the rest of them in taking their tests at the DMV.
While waiting for their turn at the DMV, one of Lora’s classmates approached her to finally set the story straight. “I know you’ve probably heard all the talk surrounding your presence, ma’am,” he told her. “What’s your story? Why do you want a driver’s license at your age?”
Lora smiled as if she had been waiting for someone to ask her all this time. She revealed that she was doing it for her terminally ill grandson.
Lora’s classmate decided to approach her while they were waiting for their turn at the DMV. | Source: Pexels
“My grandson only has one dream before anything happens to him – he wants to go camping for a week in a nearby state. I promised I would take him, but I have no license,” she revealed. “It’s only both of us at home, and our other relatives are too busy to take us on the trip.”
The man immediately felt terrible. He regretted taking part in making fun of Lora. He realized she wasn’t doing it for herself but for a special person in her life.
“You’re such an admirable woman,” he couldn’t help but tell Lora. “Your grandson is lucky to have you as his grandmother.”
Lora shook her head. “When his parents left him with me, I promised to give him a good life. I don’t understand why he had to get sick. Taking him on the camping trip is the least I could do. His birthday is coming up in two weeks, so I need to ace the test today,” she told the man.
Lora was determined to pass the driver’s test. | Source: Pexels
The man was called for his driver’s license test soon after Lora stopped talking, and she wished him good luck. Before he walked to the instructor, he revealed to the rest of their classmates that Lora was taking the test for her ill grandson.
Everybody felt bad for making fun of her and decided to help her ace the tests. They surrounded her and gave her tips on how she could easily pass and get her license.
When it was Lora’s turn for the test drive, they wished her luck and cheered her on. “We’ll be here waiting, Lora!” they told her. “You can do it!”
Lora’s classmates cheered her on before she took the test. | Source: Pexels
With that sudden burst of confidence from her classmates, Lora took the test with so much positivity. Thus, she successfully completed her test without errors, and the DMV officer was impressed.
“For an 81-year-old, you’re a lot better than some of your classmates who went before you,” the officer told her. “Great job, Lora!”
After completing the test, Lora took a deep breath and thanked the officer for her patience. “How did I do? I was quite nervous,” she asked.
Lora carefully took her driver’s test with a DMV officer beside her. | Source: Pexels
“You did well. I’ll admit that you’ll have a lot of restrictions because of your age, but I’m happy to let you know that you passed the test. You’ll be getting your driver’s license,” the officer informed her.
Upon hearing this, Lora couldn’t help but cry. She sobbed while quietly sitting in the car, remembering her grandson who was waiting for her at home. “Thank you, officer. You have no idea how much this means to me. I’m going to take my grandson camping!”
True enough, on the week of her grandson Peter’s birthday, she surprised him by taking him on a camping trip. She rented a car and drove them to another state to visit a beautiful nature park where they rented a campsite cottage for a week.
Lora was able to take her grandson on the camping trip. | Source: Pexels
“Grandma, thank you for making my wish come true,” Peter said one night while they roasted some marshmallows by the fire. “You are the best thing to ever happen in my life. I’m so lucky to be your grandson,” he said, hugging her.
Lora was in tears yet again. She assured Peter that she would always be there for him and that even though he was sick, she’ll do everything she could to help him recover and live a good life.
What can we learn from this story?
Age is just a number if you’re determined to do something. Even though all odds were against Lora, she was determined to complete her driving course and get a license. She wanted to make sure she could take her grandson on a camping trip, and that’s precisely what she did.
Grandparents would do anything for their grandchildren. Cherish them. Even at 81 years old, Lora put her grandson above herself. She could have been at home enjoying her retirement, but she chose to challenge herself to fulfill her grandson’s dream.
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