After my son moved to Medicine Hat and started working in my private practise, he urged me to downsize. Whenever he found an envelope in one of the boxes, I will never forget how surprised he was. I had scrawled “Mark’s First Haircut” across the front. “It’s not possible,” he said. My hair was not saved by you for more than 40 years!”
Hadn’t I already?
I was surprised to find notes and artwork he’d created in his fifth-grade sex education class, among other things, in our possession in a matter of minutes. There were no more complicated instructions for him to follow from me. “These things are yours,” I said. If you don’t tell me what happened to them, I don’t want to know. It occurred to me at the time that he might not value them as highly as I did.)
The importance of being the first is often accompanied by a strong sense of emotion. What are some of your earliest memories, such as your first bike ride or first day of school? What are some of your earliest financial milestones, such as your first paycheck, bank account, or major purchase?
What was the colour of your first automobile? On what date did you go out for the first time? And where did the two of you end up going?
Firsts are an important part of life because they open the door to new experiences and opportunities. However, firsts also represent the past, present, and future of a person’s life. As a result of having a first, you have to give something up, such as your youth, inexperience, or sense of security. Having a new experience in the present allows you to learn and grow in new ways. As a bonus, you’ll be able to preserve those experiences as treasured mementos for the future.
Firsts can be wonderful and cherished for the rest of one’s life. Other firsts can be a pain or an awkwardness. We benefit from each and every one of them in some way.
There are a lot of firsts this week, so it’s an extra special occasion. Today marks the beginning of a new year, a new decade, and a new month!
What will you do with this? Whether or not you have time to reflect on the past and record what you have seen and done, will you? Are you going to take some time today to unwind and express gratitude for all that you have accomplished and the fact that today marks the beginning of something new for you? This is a good time to reflect on your long-term plans and goals.
When my children were small, I would always tell them, “You have a brand-new scribbler with brand-new pages so you can write anything you want in it.” the day before school.
It’s the same every day. To get your creative juices flowing today, imagine that you’re holding a fresh, brand-new scribbler with blank pages.
You’ve got a few minutes. What are your plans for the future? What impact do you hope to have on the world?
It is up to you because these firsts are all yours!