The Bucket List Lesson

My aunt loves Elvis.  I mean really loves Elvis.  Last July, we had a big celebration for her birthday.  Mom and Auntie Jan hired an Elvis impersonator to put on a show in the party room at her apartment complex.  It was quite the party.  We were celebrating her valiant fight against cancer.

This July, Mom and Dad took Judy to Graceland for her birthday.   This was a different kind of celebration.  This was more like one last hoorah before the cancer took over.  The trip was planned as soon as they received the news that Judy's time will be cut short.

She had a wonderful trip, and the timing couldn't have been better.  As it turns out, she is already feeling the effects of the ugly disease.  Fred and I talked about the bucket list concept.  I was sad for Judy.  She got to visit Graceland, but I had a theory about this whole bucket list thing.  I told Fred that we should be working on our bucket lists now.  I don't want to wait until someone tells me that I have months instead of years left in this world.

I set about working on my bucket list.  I haven't put together a formal list, but there were a few things that I wanted to start off with.  I wanted an adventurous summer.  So, I went...

Hiking

Horseback Riding

Kayaking

Floating down a river

and, let's not forget that I let PawPaw Larry drag me around behind the boat in Big Bertha

What will I do for Autumn?  I don't know yet, but I'll keep you posted.

I saw Judy on Saturday.  It was my first time to visit with her, since she had really started getting sick.  I sat next to her bed, and held her hand.  She looked at me with sad eyes, and said, "Donna, this ain't me.  This just ain't me."  We talked a little bit about her cancer for a few minutes.  But, I wanted to lighten the mood.  I'm always the one cracking jokes at inappropriate times, because I prefer smiles and laughter in times of adversity. (I am like Clairee in Steel Magnolia where she offers to let M'lynn take a wack at Oiser.)  So, I asked Judy about her Graceland trip.  Boy, oh,  boy!  Her eyes lit up.  She told me all about it.  She pulled herself out of bed, and tracked down every last souvenir (and there were a lot) that she had purchased.  I asked her what her favorite part of the trip was.  Her reply was, "Donna, I just don't know.  I can't say.  It was all great.  I can't pick a favorite." 

At that moment, I learned an important lesson about bucket lists.  I do believe that you should always be working on your bucket list.  However, I think you should save something really big and important until you get that news.  That big important thing might be what gets you through the tough times. I'm grateful to my parents for making such a special trip happen for Judy.