Flying Into the Land of the Lasts
It is truly the end of an era when you watch your youngest get ready to leave the nest
When I became a mom, I was prepared and excited for all of the “firsts”. I couldn’t wait for my daughter to say her first word, take her first steps, and reach every milestone. Doing all of these things on schedule meant I was doing something right as a mother.
I joined a new mom’s group, full of younger moms like myself that lacked friends with children. It was a blessing but also where comparison began to breed. Talking and walking first meant that your child would be smarter than the rest, or so I thought.
I was completely submerged in the group and obsessed with my daughter keeping up with the other kids. I was unable to play the tape forward and didn’t have my later self telling me that I should stop and relish in the moments.
What I didn’t think about when I was a new mother was when all of the firsts become the lasts. I didn’t realize at the time that meeting those firsts on time was irrelevant in the grand scheme of life. Each child hits their milestones differently and just because my daughter walked and talked a little later than the average, didn’t result in her struggling in life or school.
