Today was Nathanael's first day of second grade and Noah's first day of pre-k. I like firsts. First taste of a new ice cream flavor. First time seeing the Rockies. First time hearing an amazing song. First time driving alone in a car. First time stroking the muzzle of a horse. First buds in spring after a long winter. Firsts are fun. Well most of the time. First shots are not. First speeding tickets are not. First time being made fun of for passing gas in public is not, well unless you are a 11 year old boy. One of the best things about having kids is getting to exerience "firsts" again and again. Many which have been forgotten. Simple pleasures and curiosities such as the first time catching a lighting bug or first time building a river in the sand at the oceans edge to fill up your castle moat. The not so great first can be scary, but this time around I am approaching them with some, I hope, wisdom. And maybe...just maybe with some thought, compassion, and a whole lot of prayer some of the blows of those not so great firsts can be lessened or even dodged. And maybe my boys firsts will sort of erase and help me to unlearn some of the jaded attitudes I have picked up over the years. Instead of being a big black mark my cynical attitude will become more of a smudge. Thankfully, both boys came home excited about their first day of school. Nathanael said he had so much fun.
And I could tell Noah felt bigger and more responsible. He's doing big stuff, sitting down and writing his name before he goes and plays. And I probably should mention, I had my own first. The first Monday in August where I was halfway organized, managed to complete some tasks with a pretty good attitude, sidestep depression, and remember other people are human beings just like me on a Monday. A good first day of second grade. A good first day of pre-k. A good first August Monday for mommy.
