Firsts

Today I'm thinking about firsts.

Yesterday my Facebook feed was blown up with all the "First Day of First Grade" and "First Day as a Senior in High School" etc. posts.  This made me think about all the "Firsts" I've had in this life.

• First birthday
• First steps
• First day of school
• First home-run
• First race won
• First day of college
• First graduation
• First date
• First kiss
• First child
• First job
• First car
• First home
• First first first...

 Life is filled with Firsts! 

All the firsts I automatically think about are "good" firsts - firsts that inspire hope and anticipation. But life is also filled with bad firsts.

• First skinned knee
• First childhood disease (chickenpox, measles, mumps, etc.)
• First broken bone
• First tooth pulled
• First fight
• First race lost
• First death in the family
• First friend moved away
• First pet passed away
• First bicycle wreck
• First bad grade on a test
• First experience of being bullied
• First broken heart
• First first first...

 Yes.  Life is filled with firsts.  We choose which "Firsts" color our lives.  Which "First" memories we keep.  Which "Firsts" define us. 

Life is a messy business.  The only thing certain and truly reliable in life is change.

Firsts are about change.  You can not grow without change.  You can not learn without change.  Change is generally traumatic.  The sooner we learn to accept and embrace change, the easier our lives become. 

Just some thoughts for you today.