“He died with his eyes closed and his heart open” 
Last night Jacob and I watched our first Blue Ray Disk, which happened to contain the movie “The Bucket List” While the move its self is not meant to be a profound eye opener it did make me wonder what would be, or should be on my bucket list?
What is a bucket list? Well it probably truly doesn’t exist in the real world, but in the world of fiction read by Morgan Freeman it was a college assignment from his philosphy professor. It was to be metephorical. What would you like to accomplish before you kick the bucket? Of course I can imagine at 33 the wonders that I would like to accomplish. Some fo them small, and some of them broad…but what if you were like the recently graduated high school student from Freedom Pa who has been given a week to live? He was diagnosed with brain cancer, and began living his bucket list while he still had the energy to do so. He managed the Pittsburgh P i ra tes for a day. He met the Yankee’s own A. Rodriguez. He spoke emotionally at his high school graduation just a few weeks ago and now the news reports tell us that his doctors have given him the grim prognosis of 1 week to live. A mere seven days, can you imagine? I can’t.
Here is a link to just one of his articles in the local paper, and news: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/sports/16202643/detail.html
But if it was me, what would I do in those 7 days? Would I make ammends with those I whom I have caused pain? Would I forgive those who caused mine? Or would I spend every waking moment in church praying for forgiveness for my vast sins, adding nay begging that if I am forgiven that I be given more time. Then there would be the regrets. I never gave birth to a live child. follwed by the realization that if I am forgiven my sins that wouldn’t matter because I would be with my children in heaven. The opportunity to be a mother to them even in the clouds would be a gift. So would that then mean that I would relish my last 168 hours on this Earth because I know I would be with them again? Or would the tear stained faces of those I am leaving behind cause me more strife? I don’t know, and frankly I never want too.
Instead I am left to wonder… Odds are I have longer than a week, but what if I didn’t? No, I don’t want to fathom that, instead given my hopeful number of remaining years I ask, what would my bucket list really include? What would yours? Would it be filled with grand gestures, or simple pleasures? I wonder…and may figure it out…but in the mean time I am left with another thought…
From the movie “Where The Heart Is” there is a line, and I am paraphrasing at best–“Each year we celebrate an anniversary or two, but each year there is one that passes silently. Each year we pass without knowing it, the anniversary of our own death…”
Family Of Two 
I like the line from where the heart is that says your lives can change in an instant.
We saw the bucket list for the first time the other day too. I guess I haven’t really thought about my bucket list like that. Yes there are things that I want to accomplish before I die but I guess I have never really put them on a list all together. It also kind of reminds me of the movie A Walk to Remember. She had her list of all the things whe wanted to do and her boyfriend/husband helped her accomplish those things. He learned a lot about himself while trying to accomplish her list. Great movie!
SO I guess I better start really thinking about my Bucket List because after all, “Our lives can change in an instant.”
I watched the bucket list and wondered what was on my parents bucket list. My mother died when I was 21 my father died when I was in my 30’s.
I guess on my mother list was for her to become a grandmother. She has never seen her grandchildren. My father list was much simpler to be reunited with his wife. Unfortunately my sisters children came after he died so he knew nothing of them.
I hope to never have need of a bucket list because I want to live forever. I never want to experience death other than as a spectator.
As Kathy V quotes ” our lives can change in an instant” I guess I will think about creating a bucket list …..
Guess I need to add the Bucket List to my list of need to see movies.
BTW…I fixed my video link 🙂
I, too, watched the bucket list and it made me think about what is important — not what those two guys chose! I like the following blog about the bucket list: http://www.drbethrobinson.com