The Reverse Bucket List

A fellow blogger, who is now required to read to the end of this post, recently posted about making a bucket list and wanting to try and actually accomplish those listed adventures. A long time ago, I was in the middle of my “audited semester in law school” and looking for some evidence/timeline of evidence when I stumbled upon a box of magical things – pictures from Barcelona, pictures from New York (at the time I had totally forgotten I had been there just a few short years prior), tickets from this awesome club there to see a live band, game ticket stubs, etc. As I was knee deep in papers, emotions, and exhaustion with a sleeping baby in the next room– I decided to start making a list of all the things in my life that I had accomplished. A reverse bucket list of sorts, as I typed it kept getting longer and longer until it was over 2 pages of statements/adventures/events. At that time, I needed to see what all I had done so far in my life and if 29 years could have produced that much – just think what the next 30+ years could bring!

I can’t find my exact list right now but a few highlights I can remember are: been to New York, NY and California, visited 2 other countries – actually 3 with a layover, got my first Bachelor’s Degree, got married, got my second Bachelor’s Degree, got divorced, gave birth, truly became a mother, worked at a Level 1 Trauma hospital, been to 5 different baseball parks, etc. Like I said, the list was pages long and I am sure I didn't even think of anything.

Now I wanted to point to my audience, those who stop by my little blog now and then, and let me point out some things that are on my bucket list that you have already accomplished:

One of you hung an amazing wreath on your very own door! I dream of this and am so happy you got your dream, did you know what an amazing thing you were doing when you were hanging that wreath?

One of you travels the world and the country running marathons, going to concerts, visiting many friends AND gets to lounge on the couch with a warm mug and kitten when school is delayed or cancelled and can nap! Though I know you enjoy those moments, you may not think of them when you are grading all those papers. Oh a nap, how I envy that!

One of you posts the greatest things about your son, what he is and can do and say as he is no longer a baby (you know that baby that took a long, loving miracle to get here) – remember those when home, work, yard is getting at you – those things are huge, especially when his elders only did that just last week!

One of you has the exhausting pleasure of staying home with your kids all day, but most importantly I love your photos of your family, especially with their dad or the whole family – you all look so incredibly happy and like you all just fit together! I hope you hold on to these moments when your husband is away and your only communication may be tagging Facebook posts – those are some of my favorite btw too.

Now for you, my friend: With all the health odds against it – you ran half of a marathon! I am sure your doctors said that would never be possible, mine did too and I have yet to get past 5K on a treadmill, but you did it! Also, those 3 pictures where you hang your keys are almost as coveted by some as your two academic degrees.

So when things get tough, life starts fighting back, when you think you have accomplished nothing in the day/week/year, and/or you are just having one of those days when you feel you cannot get back up – think of all that you HAVE done so far, how HARD you worked to obtain those things you have, even the things that are nagging at you.

“When discouraging forces pull at us, we are not pulled apart. Instead, like strands of a rope, we are pulled more tightly together and grow in strength.”