The First 11 Golden Summers

There’s a popular idea that most of us only get about ten good summers at the end of our lives.But there’s another set of golden summers we rarely talk about — the first ones.In this reflection, I explore the idea of the first 11 golden summers: the brief window when your child is small, when you’re their hero, their safe place, and their favourite person in the world.I talk about time, presence, and the quiet truth that many of the most important moments in parenting don’t announce themselves as special — until they’re gone.This isn’t a message of guilt or perfection.It’s an invitation to notice what’s already here.And for parents whose children are older, it’s a reminder that history is not destiny — meaningful moments can always be created.If this resonates, I hope it encourages you to choose presence a little more often, while the season is still here.