Firsts: The Experiences to be Celebrated

Recently, I journaled to a prompt about ‘firsts’.  Writing is sometimes more difficult and much of this was written on a day where writing was especially hard.

Writing to this prompt made me realize just how far I’ve come in my life. I’ve done a lot of things and I’ve been fortunate. What follows is another way of looking at things.

I’ve had a lot of firsts in my life:

• I’m the first female in my family to graduate from college, though not the last.

• I’m the first in my family and generation to get a divorce, though not the last.

• I was 39 when I had my first surgery and it was my tonsils. Just as a thought – this is the worst surgery to have as an adult.

• I was 40 when I became a grandma for the first time. Best experience ever.

• I was 42 when I got my first stitches from an accident. I cut my finger while I was slicing bread and had to drive myself to the hospital. Had to sit alone while they stuck needles in my finger and it nearly tripled in size just so they could numb it. It was crazy.

• I was 6 when I had the dream to write a book.

• At age 29, I began college “officially”. This was the biggest thrill of my life. I had a lot of insecurities about my abilities to complete school. I have done this and so much more. I probably wouldn’t be able to write if I hadn’t done followed through with school. I don’t think that I would have enough belief in myself to be able to do write. It does take more than belief in myself but if I didn’t have some then I wouldn’t even want to begin because it would only end in failure.

• Some of my other firsts include:
⁃ Getting my passport
⁃ Baking bread
⁃ Being on a plane
⁃ Flying over the ocean – very scary for me
⁃ Traveling to Europe and Africa
⁃ Seeing the Eiffel Tower
⁃ Walking in famous places
⁃ Living on my own
⁃ Driving a stick
⁃ Living in Chicago – I’m from a tiny community and lived on a dirt road growing up.

• I wrote my first blog post this year. It was one of the most nerve wracking thing that has ever happened to me. Things have since gotten easier and less anxiety ridden but not quite comfortable.

‘Firsts’ happen all the time. When I began writing about ‘firsts’ the ones that came to mind are the ones that happen when you are a baby, for example, first steps, words, foods. These are the ones we celebrate.

What we don’t think about is that first experiences happen throughout our lives. And, shouldn’t we celebrate more of our firsts, regardless of when they happen?

Today I am reminded of all the good things that have happened to me in my life. We are all a lifetime of firsts. We have that saying ‘There’s a first time for everything.’ Except we forget that this is an amazing thing. As long as we are living and growing, we are having firsts.

Challenge: Remember to celebrate those ‘firsts’.