The Firsts and The Lasts

I have been thinking about these things a lot lately. Babies have so many firsts that we almost lose track. Smiles, giggles, laughs. Rollovers, crawls, steps. Teeth. Words. Foods. The list goes on and on. And then, as our children get a little older they start to have some lasts. The last time they say "mot" instead of "milk". The last time you can pick them up off the floor when they fall. The last time they can ride the boat swings. The question is, which ones are more important to hold onto, the firsts or the lasts?

I recently read a story book that focused on the lasts, and how we should pay more attention to them. When I read it, a tear came to my eye. When my seven year old son read it, he sobbed. He thought about his baby brother growing up, and then he thought about himself leaving home someday, and it made him so sad, he could hardly speak.

The way I look at it, and what I told my son, is that every last leads to another first, and that is exciting. When his baby brother stops saying "Ma ma ma" he will start saying "Mommy". When they can no longer go on the swings, they will be able to go on the big ferris wheel. When they leave home one day, they will have their own place where I can go visit them. I am not saying I am not nostalgic for their early days and years. Time goes so fast and it is so hard to appreciate every moment. Its nice to look back at photos and video and remember those days. I would just rather spend more time thinking about the wonderful moments to come.

I think that focusing on the firsts represents progress and looking to the future of more firsts. Focusing on the lasts, even just the word "last", makes me feel like I'm getting stuck in the past.

I'll tell you one thing for sure. My son and I are never going to read that story again.