What is the first thing you think of when you read those two words or perhaps hear someone say them?
I’ll bet you think about something exotic, pricey, outrageous, or maybe even dangerous. One of a kind something. A certain trip you’d be fortunate to have in your lifetime. A dream trip or dream experience in an exotic location.
I’ve never put a bucket list together though I’ve attempted to grab a ticket to the concept, without ever really sitting down to give it serious consideration. That changed today. I was busy in the kitchen making Christmas cake listening to CBC radio’s Now or Never. The topic of discussion was people who had different ideas of a bucket list. I was sold! Now that’s my kind of bucket list.
They began with co-host Trevor Dineen and his recent struggles with mental health. He found making a list of small achievable things to give him a boost that also gave him a sense of accomplishment.
And then there was the woman whose 11 year old dog is dying of cancer. Instead of mourning and being sad, waiting for the time to come, she created a bucket list of the top five things that made her dog happy. She makes those happy things happen and takes great joy in making her dog’s end of life the best it can be. How great is that? A real lesson learned for all of us.
There are more lovely ideas from others if you care to listen to the program. But it certainly got me thinking about possibilities for my own worthy bucket list. The reason I likely never put a bucket list together in the past is because those lofty, dream-come-true ideas didn’t hold much desire for me. What really matters to me the most are the small everyday things — and more of them.
Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things.
Frank A. Clark
I mean imagine taking great joy in having more special, everyday moments with those who mean the most to you. Imagine more meals with family or friends. More slow walks in the park. Writing letters. More dancing for the fun of it. Doing something nice for a neighbour. Taking time to do things with or for your grandparents. More phone calls ‘home.’ Taking cans of pet food to a local shelter, rescue, or SPCA. Doing the same for your local food bank on a regular basis. Learning to play an instrument or getting reacquainted with the one you learned in your youth. How about literally flying a kite — in a wide open field or beside a beach, or wherever. Or maybe putting together a family album of photos from the scads of them doing nothing on your phone. The list has no bounds. Now those are really worthy bucket list items that I could get excited about.
Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.
Barbara De Angelis
when i hear those two words, my first thought is that someone is dying. however, in recent years, i’ve heard of 25 to 30 year old people having a bucket list. in those case, i think, “give me a break”. don’t mean to be Eeyore : – )
gotta love the laughter and smiles of the people in your photo.
One thing that we took pride in Saturday was taking my lawn mower, edger and leaf blower to my cousin-in-law’s house. After my move in August, we didn’t need doubles of everything, so we gave her the older models. Still work beautifully, but what we kept is much lighter. It was quite a trek to her house, but to see her eyes light up with everything that we unloaded from the car was priceless. Her elation was like she just won the lottery. They moved to the house about a month ago and was borrowing her brother’s mower, who lived quite a distance away. We may do the same with the snow blower, but we have quite a long and wide driveway. So for now, we’re going to use both. Our neighborhood grocery store has a “ticket” you can buy which buys two meals for the local shelter. I always buy at least 3 or 4 tickets.