The Green Giant is a 2003 Ford Expedition that served our family well for the past 12 1/2 years. It took over 100,000 miles worth of karate trips, and comfortably carried our family on numerous car trips to various places, such as Yellowstone, Galveston, Pennsylvania, and New York City. It has been hunting, fishing, and camping. It has pulled boats and trailers. It has towed cars. It has carried kayaks. It has been the source of many good memories. It was a reliable, faithful friend.
The Green Giant also kept us safe from a few bumps along the way. Such as when a sun glare made a red light look green. And when a deer ran out in front of us in the dark as we were driving 50 mph. All occupants were unscathed. And even at the end, when I was driving six children to a animal juggling show and pulled out in front of a car I could not see, all of the occupants in our car were uninjured. All things considered, that is a pretty honorable way for it to complete its service to our family.
My husband loved his Expedition. Even though he had 229,000 miles on it, he was planning to invest $1500 or more to rebuild the suspension. He would've driven it until it died. As it turns out, I'm the one who got to drive it to its end. Certainly that was not the way we had planned.
We are not the only one who loves our Expedition. This is evidenced by the extreme difficulty we have experienced when trying to find a gently used one. People simply don't want to give them up! We have come to learn that over the past 12 1/2 years the new price has nearly doubled. The market value for these vehicles is strong. Given how functional and reliable that vehicle was to us, this should not have been a surprise.
My husband has been gracious to me through all of this. Despite how much he loved his truck, he's encouraged with the knowledge that the contents of that vehicle have much greater value than the vehicle itself. And in the end the Green Giant fulfilled its duty to our family with honor and sacrifice. We will miss the Green Giant, and will harbor fond memories of it all our days.
My husband has been gracious to me through all of this. Despite how much he loved his truck, he's encouraged with the knowledge that the contents of that vehicle have much greater value than the vehicle itself. And in the end the Green Giant fulfilled its duty to our family with honor and sacrifice. We will miss the Green Giant, and will harbor fond memories of it all our days.
So long, Green Giant! We won't recognize the Hurley family in the church parking lot without you. ☹️
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