First born,

first birthday,

first anniversary,

baby's first Christmas,

first communion


first day of school,

first hair cut

first date first kiss,

first hug,

first base,

first time past first base,

first word,


first tooth,


first drink,

first time you said "I Love You"

first time you HEARD "I Love You"


first joint,


first sex,

first baby shoes,

first grade,

first test,

first job,

first suit,

first dress,

first bike,

first car,

first tie(clip - on)

first tie(tied for you)

first tie( tied *by* you)

first vacation,

first Love,

first vote,


first girl,


first boy,


first grandchild ,


first grandson,


first granddaughter ,

first success,

first failure overcome,

first prayer answered,

etc, etc, etc.

Actually, for many, today is their First Mother's Day! The First Mother's Day that these ladies celebrate(hopefully with Dad and others ) as Moms!


For many others, it's another kind of first-the first Mother's
day WITHOUT their Moms.

Mother's day goes from a day of joy and celebration one year, to a day of sad loneliness the next.

Last year I was with a friend when her Mom took her last breath.

Her Mom was a lucky one- her Loving family was by her side-through the good times and the not good times.

My friend's family lives close to one-another and frequently got together for holidays and the like.

Today, they are absent Mom---Mother's Day without Mom, another first for them.

We always assume that death is a problem for others, not us. Death's always a surprise.

When my father died from cancer a decade and a half ago, my mother was 'in dis-belief'. Even though her husband suffered from incurable cancer, she,mom, was shocked. I was bedside doing the "Dad, it's ok to let go..." mantra, while my mother asked my wife: "What's happening?"


Should we do a better job planning for our and our loved one's deaths? Should we be more conscientious as to how and where we spend our time ?

We either don't believe that we or our Loved ones will ever die, or just don't want to think about those realities.


Epicurus (Greek philosopher, BC 341-270) said : xc3xa2xe2x82xacxc5x93Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.xc3xa2xe2x82xacxc2x9d

Maybe we need better investment strategies w/ more than our dollars, maybe we need better investment strategies w/our time and our Love-- because there is no higher rate of return.

THIS I KNOW :
The only thing that I really own, the only thing that is really mine and *mine alone* to give is *my time*, *my time* and w/whom and / or where and how I choose to spend it !


When we better invest our Time and Love, when we reap the rewards of our invested Time and Love, when the sad 'firsts' come, and they WILL come, we will find more reason to smile, laugh and KNOW-we'll Know that the Love and Time we gave is the Love and Time we receive.........



~Louie b.






and, btw, if you know some one for whom today's their first Mother's day w/o their mom, and you know that they Loved their mom-please don't keep that to yourself-let them know, and not just today..