The Bucket List

This past week I celebrated my birthday and I couldn't help but giving some thought to my mortality.  I started to imagine how my life would change and what I would do if I knew I only had a matter of months to live … ergo the infamous "bucket" list came to mind.  Yes, I could jot down the things I would like to see and do before I dep art this life, and I know the list would be extensive, but then I started to think, why is it always about me?  This gave me pause.  What would I do if I knew I only had six months to live?  Would I change the way I behaved toward others?  What could I do to make a difference, to be a better friend, wife, mother or employee?  Who would remember me for giving a word of kindness, a helping hand, encouragement to a friend.  I thought about forgiveness, both giving it and getting it, and I thought about being a blessing in other's lives.   So now I have a new list.  Oh, I still have the old one listing fabulous places I would like to see and wonders I would like to witness, but now I also have a second list that begins with thanking those who have made a difference to me and have been a blessing in my life and then listing ways I could pay that forward.  Now, I am mindful of what I say recalling my dear departed mother's words, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."   I will admit, sometimes I have a bit of a problem keeping quiet, but I am working on it.

Although the creative exercise of writing the first list is fun, somehow the second list has taken preference.  The good news is if you are generous with your smiles, slow to speak but quick to listen, you won't have to wait until you have passed away to discover how much you mean to those whose lives you touch.  Remember, when you are departed from this life, you will not be measured by how much you loved, but rather by how much you were loved.

So, take out a piece of paper (or two) and a pen and start your lists today.  Here are a few of things from my  list:  get my novels published; thank those who have helped me along the way; visit the lands of my ancestors; be thankful for the wisdom of those who have gone before me and try to impart this to the next generation; stand beneath the northern lights; and be a light in someone's life.  These are some of the things on my lists.  What's on your list?

Gerri Brousseau

Filed under: Bucket List, Gerri Brousseau