Life is full of landmarks. Many of the greatest landmarks are still celebrated today and have become tourist attractions. The Taj Mahal, Vatican City, the Great Wall of China and the Golden Gate Bridge are just a few that pop to mind. There are many more you could name.
Like these famous places, people can have landmarks too. In fact, every person has the same first landmark — being born. This landmark is celebrated on an annual basis. It’s called a birthday.
Not every landmark is celebrated for your whole life. A baby’s first words and steps are big achievements when they first happen, however, after awhile they become a note in a baby book, just a part of the fabric of that person’s life.
For me personally, my first word was “DaDa,” and I was walking by 11 months. Both of these facts I had to ask my mom about to get the details right for the column. These are important landmarks, yes, but not something I reference on a regular basis.
As you get older, your landmarks become associated with school and activities. There is an old VHS tape with my preschool graduation on it. It’s in my parents’ house somewhere, but I couldn’t tell you the last time it has been viewed.
The same can be said about my high school graduation, however, it has a bit more importance to my everyday life. My diploma is a constant reminder of what I achieved in my formative years.
My Grandpa and Grandma Rodgers never completed high school. They grew up in a different era. They had to work the family farm to make ends meet. However, the landmark was so important to my Grandpa, he completed his GED the same year my dad (his son) graduated high school. It was a proud accomplishment for both of them.
College graduation is one of the most important landmarks of them all. It sets you on the course for the rest of your life, if you’re lucky. If you don’t go to college, then your first job is your next landmark. These are the types of moments that shape your life.
Landmarks go beyond these educational and career-oriented milestones. There are also the emotional landmarks you can have. You have your first friend, first crush, first kiss, first love, the list could go on and on. Every person has moments like these.
People like to be around other people. So many of the landmarks in life revolve around others. All of the examples I have listed above are personal achievements, yes, but they are next to impossible to attain without someone by your side.
I am preparing for the next big landmark of my life, becoming a wife.
This is something I have only imagined until this point. I feel I am ready for this next step and hope that as my future husband, Tim, and I fall into our new roles, we will be there to catch each other and help one another achieve more landmarks. It’s also an important reminder that anyone who is important in your life shares their landmarks with you. Over the past two years, I have been so lucky to include a man like Tim in my past, present and future and be a part of his as well.
Life’s landmarks are important pieces of your personal history. These moments should be remembered and built upon throughout a lifetime. I can’t wait to celebrate my next landmark.
Contact Pam Rodgers
at prodgers@newtondailynews.com