First Footprints

The snow’s first footprints are magical. 

When an imprint is made in virgin snow,

One feels they are traversing a path untouched by human kind. 

First footprints are like…

Your first real friend,

Someone you shared a connection with and kept for life.

The first and best birthday gift you ever received.

A memorable trip.

The first ghost story told to you that gave you nightmares.

Your first kiss,

Surprising you with its softness.

The first time your heart was broken.

The first book that spoke to the depths of your being.

The first teacher you genuinely liked.

Your first airplane ride,

Feeling the surge of power on take-off and wondering in amazement as you look down on Terra Firma.

The first time you watched someone be treated unkindly

…and did nothing.

The first adult in your life, outside your parents, who “saw” you and cared.

The first time you experienced the gladness of practicing generosity.

Exchanging vows with your True Love, witnessed by those you love best.

The first cry of your newborn, quavery vocal chords singing the most beautiful song your ears had ever heard.

The first smile of your infant.

The first word of your toddler.

Your baby’s first day of kindergarten (who is far too young to spend an entire day away from you!).

The first time you feel protective rage when another kid bullies your child (God help them!)

The first day of your dream job.

The first time you transfer knowledge to a child and watch comprehension dawn.

The first time you are the recipient of unconditional love.

Signing the papers on your first house.

Spending the first night in your new house.

The first moment your house feels like a home.

Your first fight with your Beloved, wondering…

If you’ll ever be happy again,

And then discovering that it became a growing experience,

That drew you closer than ever.

The first time your teenager rolls their eyes at something you had said…

Or done…

Or felt…

Or thought…

Or thought about thinking.

The first time you really “get” that your parents are aging.

The first time you are sacred witness to death,

Watching the light go out of someone’s eyes,

Suddenly knowing that the body is just a shell,

But the spirit lives on forever.

The first time it hits you that your life is perfect. 

(You can’t fully understand this truth in youth). 

Age and experience provide perspective that glistens with contentment.

Money, status, and material things are not the end result of happiness, after all. 

The FIRST time you comprehend this ageless truth,

Will be the last time you’ll need to be visited by this revelation. 

To have found true love,

To have given birth to living legacies,

To be fed and sheltered,

To have faith that there is indeed a God in heaven who cares for mankind,

And to have a purpose in life,

Is all a mortal needs to know pristine joy.

The first steps are magical,

Because they are the beginning of a journey

Who’s outcome will be determined by you…

One step at a time.