January 1, when I began this journey of experiencing something new each day, I wasn’t sure if I could find enough firsts to make it through the year. I made lists. I hunted for ideas. And there was nothing wrong with planning ahead! I still check the newspaper for upcoming events and I always have my “antenna” out, picking up suggestions. As June draws to a close, I have made it half way through the year! Today marks six months gone in 2014. If I go by number of days, noon Wednesday, July 2, marks the halfway point. Today seemed like the day to celebrate one of the greatest years of my life!
It has been an exciting year thus far. These new experiences have taught me much about life and stepping out there and being okay with being uncomfortable. Firsts like handing out flowers to strangers on Valentine’s Day and using power tools pushed me to go beyond the fear of being misunderstood and the fear of hurting myself! Many of my firsts have involved family members such as my sisters, mom, children and grandchildren. Aubrey and I sang our hearts out at the Disney Frozen Sing a long, while Joey and Oliver got to have their first outing with me at the Jasper County Sheriff’s Day. My grandson Dayan moved beyond his own comfort zone when he helped me put encouraging notes on random cars in a large parking lot. We laughed as we darted from car to car.
I’ve appreciated how supportive my family and friends have been as they journey along side me while I experience this amazing year. They’ve not only been willing participants, they’ve come up with suggestions and ideas for firsts and they’ve been open to experiencing and sharing firsts of their own.
The new friends I’ve made and the people I’ve had the privilege of connecting with have so enriched my year. I love that the act of moving beyond has brought opportunities to meet people I never would have met otherwise. It has been a pleasure to email with Lu Ann Cahn, and do a guest blog for her. Lu Ann’s book, “I Dare Me” inspired my own journey. I’ve also met another blogger who is having a year of firsts as well. Betty has been fun to correspond with and I often check out her blog to see what she’s doing that day for a first. Although we’ve had a few similar experiences, for the most part, we are doing very different firsts. A link to her blog is provided at the end of this post.
The most amazing lesson I’ve learned so far this year is not to over think or over plan what each day’s first will be. Many times the planned first has shifted or been postponed, for a variety of reasons. And yet, when that happens, another first always appears, and it is always the perfect first for that day! I’m seeing how life flows, and how being in that flow not only makes life easier and more joyful, but more opportunities show up for me as I stay in that open space. It has been exciting, also, to experience so much synchronicity and see the connections that are everywhere.
This afternoon, I had a delightful time catching up with two of my dear friends, Garen and Cate, at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub. We shared about what was going on in our lives and encouraged each other in our journeys. We each had a drink. I normally have a hard cider, Angry Orchard being my favorite. Today, however, they were out of cider. Jason, the bartender, disappeared and came back with a deliciously tart, fruity drink he made just for me. He called it The Cindy. How appropriate, as I celebrated the halfway mark in my year of firsts, to have a drink I had never had before, named after me. And how fun! Here’s to an incredible rest of the year!
Check out Betty’s blog
http://agutandabutt.com/a-year-of-firsts
Congratulations on reaching the halfway point! I definitely haven’t been able to plan things out and I agree that is part of the challenge and the experience. Allowing things to flow and just enjoy is so important. Thanks for sharing my link!
My pleasure! I’m so glad we met and have shared such an amazing journey!