Does this sentence even make sense?

I hesitate to ask, because I'm sure the answer is yes and my writer's brain is just playing tricks on me...<br><br>But I have this sentence:<br><br>"Now for the first time in my life, my hands were free."<br><br>And a friend of mine told me that this sentence is dumb because my hands have been "free" for much of my life up until this point. Before I could crawl, before I could walk, before I could ride a bike, etc. But I'm not sure if my friend's interpretation is the correct one for the sentence.<br><br>Am I being paranoid?<br><br>Thanks in advance!