It happened again, one morning you wake up and the light has changed and become crisper after weeks of heat and haze. It happened early this year, but nothing about how late or early things happen should surprise me anymore. As the days get shorter, I need to add lightbulbs to my shopping list before the big bucket stores set up their Christmas Wonderland displays during Halloween season.
Speaking of seasons, remember when you were young and they crawled by, except for summer, which flew by? It would take forever to get from the first day of school to Christmas. Now it takes about eight minutes.
Speaking of buckets, I was working with a client on a questionnaire that asked what was on her Bucket List, and she replied she doesn’t believe in them. Neither do I. I can see why people think it’s fun to have one. But I’ve always thought making a Bucket List would add pressure to my life. I have so many lists already, why add another one? I do like bucket hats though.
And while I’m babbling about lists, here we are approaching Autumn, and once again the long list of things to do inside and outside is sitting quietly in a notebook somewhere. I make the list every winter as a way to look forward to being outside again. This year the easy things got done mostly because they’re always the same. The more involved things – meaning things that are expensive to do but don’t show, so they can wait until next year – not so much. I have a friend who says she always wants to tell visitors to admire her $3,000 bathroom ceiling (it’s a long story). Next year I’ll work from this year’s list if I can find it.
Every year around this time as the days get shorter and mortality gets closer, I also make a list to remind myself there are good things about getting older, aside from forgetting where you put the list…
You can re-read your favorite mysteries because even if you remember parts of them, you can’t remember whodunit.
Dessert for dinner. Yes please.
When someone compliments you on your outfit, you can say “what, this old thing?” and be telling the truth.
You have the opportunity, as our wise Health & Wellness Editor Kathy Whelan says, to find new ways to stay healthy including expanding our friend circles to embrace people of all ages.
You can decide it’s okay to stop doing cosmetic procedures and get new windows instead, because really, who am I kidding?
Possibly my favorite thing on the list – I’m old enough to know better, but I can still get away with it.
What about you?
XO Brenda
It’s not that I ever really had a list. I have been mostly absolutely aware of the experiences that I’ve had all these 70 years that when anything was over the top that was a bucket list experience while I was going through it. I definitely look back on the Travel the people. The loving words said spontaneously to me have filled up my bucket. I still have tons of room in my bucket for all the new things that I am open to having come to me and will cherish those just as much.
Beautifully said as always. Thank you for sharing with everyone XO