I found that some people have multiple lists for different things they want to do: places to go, adventures to have, restaurants to try, famous people to meet. When I began compiling my list, I included some very aspirational things that may never happen without heroic effort and everyday things that should be easy to do but for the million and one things that get in the way and then suddenly, life has passed you by.
Reinforced for me in this exercise was the magic of writing something down - when you can see it in writing it is more concrete, more tangible, and more attainable than a wish voiced in a conversation or an idea texted back and forth but never solidified. The list has given me something to return to, to measure my passing days by, and to inspire me for the coming days. It helped us "just do it" this past summer, giving me the opportunity to do more than one thing on the list in a single epic adventure. And that same trip inspired me to add a few more things to the list.
So after 18 months of some successes and some misses against the list, I'm officially updating it. It's still the big and the little things; that's what this blog was meant to celebrate, so it feels right for my personal list to have both. I still think of it as my Life List vs. a Bucket List, as it has added more life to the 365 days I have each year.
- Donate enough money to have my name on something at West Point
- Celebrate the 4th of July in Boston
- Win 1st place in my age group in a race - DONE!!
- Cross something off a friend's life list together
- Sing in a symphony chorus
- Go to the Olympic Games
- Watch Army play in a bowl game in person
- Take a train as my primary mode of transportation on a trip or vacation
- See my cousin Jay perform live
- Become a published author
- Visit the American Cemetery in Normandy
- Take my kids to the Army/Navy game
- Be in Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day
- Run a marathon in all 50 states
- See Mt. Rushmore - DONE!!
- Take a Creative Writing course
- Go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC
- Buy something at the actual brick-and-mortar Akinz, my cousin Suzanne's retail store - DONE!!
- Swim around Key West
- Watch the Dallas Cowboys play a regular season game in Cowboys Stadium
- Spend a whole day riding roller coasters and amusement park rides with my kids - DONE!!
- Give a graduation speech
- Tour the White House
- Complete a full Ironman Triathlon
- Hike some of the Appalachian Trail
- Grow strawberries in my garden - DONE!!
- Learn to surf
- Visit Yellowstone National Park - DONE!!
- Sew matching outfits for my daughter and her American Girl doll
- Qualify for and run the Boston Marathon
- Decorate a fancy cake, like one from a bakery
- Cook / bake every single recipe in a cookbook
- Own season tickets to something
- See the Rose Parade in person
- Take a vacation with my sister Susannah, just the two of us
- Read a biography of every U.S. President
- See Lenny Kravitz in concert
- Own a convertible
- Take my kids on a Civil War staff ride vacation
- Apply to be a contestant on The Amazing Race
- See the California Redwoods
- Walk underneath / behind a waterfall
- Legitimately begin a presentation with the words, "My fellow Americans..."
- Ride my bike across a state
- Hike to the most remote spot in the lower 48
- Ride my bike through a national park
A few more added to the list, a few more complete. I'm sure I'll keep adding ideas as they pop into my head.
What about you? Do you have a list? If you don't, what are you waiting for? Grab a piece of paper, a pen, a marker, whatever inspires you. Write something down. It doesn't have to be 46 different things - start with one, or three, or ten. Just start. You'll be inspired when you realize how rich your life is because of the big and little things that you could do if you made a point to.
Excellent. Good luck with that! Love, Mom :-)
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