I met a woman yesterday who is in the fourth stage of cancer, with tumors in several areas of her body.  She's gone through chemo and is on medicine for pain management.  She knows that, barring a miracle, she'll die from this disease.

Until that happens, she has places to go and things she wants to do.  She wanted to spend time with her sister, so she flew to the East Coast from California.  She'd never been to Sanibel Island, so the two of them visited.  The woman loves animals and wanted to swim with dolphins.  So she did.

In the last six months or so, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman made a movie called The Bucket List -- as in the list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket.  A few years ago, Tim McGraw released a song that reminded us to live like we're dying, to do the things we want to do and live whatever life we have to its fullest.

This woman's doing it all.   Her spirit is amazing.  After spending a little time with her, I have no doubt that she would have accomplished everything on her "want to do" list eventually.  Unfortunately, she has to step up her timetable because the rest of her life won't give her years and years.

You know, none of us knows for sure that we'll have years and years.  We have all sorts of reasons for not accomplishing our dreams and desires.  Not enough time; not enough money; nobody to do it with.  We're afraid.  We're too young.  We're too old.  Too fat.  Too something or other.

Tonight I'm thinking that there's only definitive "too" that should block us from doing anything we want to do.  Too dead.

I've never really sat down and made a bucket list.  I'm not fond of the idea.  I prefer to think of it as a "live life to the fullest" list.

I'm fortunate in that I've already done a number of things that I always wanted to experience -- but there are more.

Must.  Give.  This.  Serious.  Thought.

This summer, I'll get to check two items off the list.  I'm going to California for the first time and I'm determined to drive the Pacific Coast Highway.

While I'm considering items for my list, how about sharing some of yours?

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Tomorrow is the official return of author Brenda Novak's online auction to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes research.  There auction features a wealth of items -- most of which were donated by authors, editors, and agents.  There are fantastic things for writers, readers, heck, everybody.  Visit Brenda's website for more details and bid, bid, bid!  www.brendanovak.com

Aunt Mary, your timing with this post could not have been any better. I've been mulling over taking a trip with two really good friends for the past few days because I've been worried about money. I'll always be too poor. Thanks for the encouragement, I'm buying my ticket to Thailand pronto!

Also, I think this means I won't be at Pasta Fest. So when you're in California, let's meet up. I'll make you some strawberry shortcake.

:-?

There will always be another Pasta Fest, Allison. Go to Thailand! How close are you to San Fran? How's the knee?

I think I was 15 when I first started writing my 50 things to do before I die list, and I've found that as I cross things off more and more things have been added to it, so its now just become a constant list of things to do before I just can't do them. :)
One of them was to go to New Orleans, which I remember when I was really little thinking seemed just so far away from New Zealand. Thinking back to the way I felt the very first time the lights were visable out the window of the plane I nearly started crying with joy because it was this crazy dream I'd had years ago that finally came true.