4 Nov 25 - All the Firsts

All the Firsts

This week, Dennys starts his first real job as a game developer. Sitting with this bowl of pulut hitam, watching the white coconut milk swirl into the dark sweet rice, I found myself traveling back through time.

First born. First word. First step. First day of kindergarten with tears (mine, not his). First day of primary school. Through every grade, every challenge, every triumph - all the way to university graduation and now, this.

His first real job.

Acceptance means embracing the whole bowl - both the dark and the light. Look at this dessert. The black glutinous rice represents all the difficult moments - the late nights when he struggled, the setbacks, the times I worried if we were doing enough, if he would be okay. The white coconut milk is the sweetness - the victories, the laughter, the pride, the joy of watching him become who he is. You can't have pulut hitam without both. You can't separate them. And together, they create something complete, something nourishing, something beloved.

Gratitude for the entire journey, not just the easy parts. I'm grateful for his first words, yes. But I'm also grateful for the challenges that taught him resilience. For the struggles that showed him he could persist. For the moments I wanted to protect him from, but couldn't - because those moments shaped him. Mindfulness teaches us to honor all of it. The ups and the downs. The fear and the courage. The holding on and the letting go.

Trust in the unfolding. When he took his first step, I was there to catch him. Now he's stepping into the professional world, and I can't be there in the same way. But just as this pulut hitam has been made the same way for generations - with care, with patience, with trust in the process - I trust the foundation we've built together. The values, the love, the lessons. They're in him now.

This week feels like standing at the edge of something new. Not just for him, but for me too. All those firsts led to this moment. And I realize: every "first" is also a kind of letting go.

Dennys, as you start this new chapter, know that dad & I, sister & pets too (you get the idea 😉) , are so proud of you. You're ready. You've always been ready - we were just lucky enough to walk beside you while you figured that out.

May you carry forward all the sweetness and all the lessons. May you create games that bring joy to others, the way you've brought joy to us.

May all parents find peace in the letting go. May all children know they carry their family's love with them, always.

#Mindfulness #Gratitude #Acceptance #Parenting #Firsts #Lettinggo #ProudParent

🌷 from Linda's desk @ Tulip Meadows 🌷