I celebrated another trip around the sun in October. For about a month prior, I was thinking of ways to make this next trip a little more special. My inspiration came from two sources. One inspiration came from the 15-year-old son of my friend. His “bucket list”, which she discovered after her son died suddenly from a brain aneurysm two years ago, included saving a life and learning how Sunny D was made. Nicholas saved several lives through his unselfish desire to become an organ donor. One of his recipients contacted the makers of Sunny D and the makers of Sunny D responded. Sunny D sends special bottles to woman helping complete late teen’s bucket list https://local12.com/news/local/sunny-d-sends-special-bottles-woman-helping-complete-late-teens-bucket-list-cleves-nick-cordrey-organ-donor-death-lakeisha-dulin-delight-beverage-company-recipe-ingredients-nicks-list-cincinnati-ohio?fbclid=IwAR23lIj6QVIQrHYn6hNhJ0z1BYgt39928AK29NYVLt9G3KtDI18kSe5X6Jk (There are several ways to register to be an organ donor and vary from location to location. Are YOU an organ donor?)
The other inspiration came from my friend Nancy who, at 49 and about to turn 50 later this year, created a “50/50” list – 50 things she wanted to do before her 50th birthday. Her list included travel, taking an electrical class, driving construction equipment, and visiting “kitcsch” roadside attractions similar to the largest frying pan or largest ball of twine!
Both of these “lists” are about living life with intentionality. Sometimes it means planning an event or activity. Sometimes it means being totally spontaneous. In any event, as I see it, these kinds of lists are more the proverbial “bucket list” of things to do before dying. My “When I’m 64 Living Life List” is about living life with intentionality, as if you have less than a year to remain on this plane of existence. It means living life with joy and abandonment. I’ll admit the title is a bit cumbersome. It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as “bucket list”. Yet both Nicholas and Nancy seemed to understand the importance of going for the gusto and grabbing life.
Henry David Thoreau
“I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life”
My list continues to evolve. Some things on it require international travel and a larger bank account than what I have. Some things are planned. Some are spontaneous. For example, I’ve always wondered how the coin machines work in the grocery store. I see folks bringing in their buckets of change and dumping them in instead of rolling coins. I decided to take a bucket of pennies in and for the cost of 4 rolls ($2.00) I received a voucher close to $30 I redeemed for cash at the customer service desk. It was just something I always wanted to try.
Other things on the list are reminders to be grateful, to forgive, to write a thank-you note, to acknowledge someone’s best efforts and to spend more quality time among trees.
So far, I’ve taken a mosaic workshop and made a lovely votive candle holder, visited Lake Erie (the photo above was taken on the beach at Port Clinton) and Put-in-Bay. I also tried to make pottery on a pottery wheel but let me tell you, using a pottery wheel is harder than it looks. Sadly, Patrick Swayze was not there to provide assistance!
I haven’t decided whether to publish the list or not because it is changing and evolving. I am paying more attention and being more mindful about what gives me life and letting go of what no longer feeds my soul. My hope is to live more intentionally.
I’ll keep you posted from time to time, or you can follow me at Listening Heart on Facebook.
How will you live with intentionality? What would you do differently if you knew you only had less than a year to live on this planet? How do you want to be in the world?
Blessings ~ Christy
(This blog is not intended to serve as individual spiritual direction. Spiritual direction and spiritual companioning are typically done face to face in a confidential setting or via Zoom or other virtual platform. If you would like to explore one-on-one spiritual companioning, group companioning, SoulCollage©, the Labyrinth, HealthRhythms®, or Reiki, please contact me. If you, your faith group, your church or your book club would like to know more about spiritual companioning, please contact me to schedule an informational workshop. In the meantime, my hope is that these photos and this blog serve as a pause in your day, food for thought, or just a reminder to breathe in and breathe out all that is holy and good. The Divine Milieu is all around us. Thank you all for prayers, vibes, positive energy and support.)