As humans, we have a certain tendency to remember our "firsts." Our first kiss, first car, first friend, first job, first concert, first time we left home. Firsts are important to us. I'm not sure why; maybe it's because we're sentimental people, even if we don't want to admit it. Life is full of firsts. And with firsts comes the temporary joy of crossing one more thing off our lifelong bucket list. As we age, it's not the minor troubles or worries of our young lives that we'll remember, it's our firsts. There is something special about a first. At one specific moment in time, a split second, everything in your small world changes, and it's a moment that you know you'll never forget.
Firsts can be terrifying, because, at the time, they seem intimidating and unattainable. Imagine the first time you tried to ride a bike. It was scary to try something new, something you had never done before. The fear of failure or mediocrity is always in the back of our minds, creeping into our thoughts ever now and then to try and hold us back. But what we don’t realize is that failure is okay! It’s good, actually. A healthy dose of failure now and then is just what we need to kick our butts and push us to get up and try again. This is why firsts can be so scary to us. But that feeling of fear and worry instantly evaporates after we achieve that first special moment. Each first is a small blessing, a little victory that brings us an incomparable sense of pure, unadulterated joy.
Remember the day you had your first kiss. Looking back, you may cringe at how awkward or silly it may seem to you now, but at that moment, you felt invincible. That first kiss might have been awful or it might have been magical, but it is still your first and you will always remember it. That’s the beautiful thing about firsts, they’re unique to everyone. That first song you remember falling in love with will always make you internally scream and sing out every word, backup lyric, and guitar riff. Your first car, whether it be an ancient Dodge Intrepid with a cassette player and chipping paint (like mine…) or a brand new Land Rover, it will always be the best car you ever owned. There will always be that special soft spot in your heart for your first car, the first band you loved, your first best friend. And that's something no one can ever take away from you.
Firsts are our own personal connection back to our childhood, the memories we hold so close to our hearts. Remembering your first love, your first pet, your first friend awakens your sense of child-like wonder and happiness. Firsts turn mundane, daily tasks into victories, reminding us that our firsts are the most beautiful gifts we could ever receive.
