Bucket Lister

Sometimes, in the middle of living our lives, we get so caught up in what we want to do, where we want to go, and who we want to become...we forget what we've already done, where we've already been, and who we already are!

Walking my sweet dogs today, I was reminded of the verse in the Bible that says to be content wherever and however you find yourself. I stopped for a long moment and took in my surroundings, really breathed deep and opened my heart and my eyes to what was happening at that second: Beau and Sassy pulling in opposite directions on the leashes, both of them deliriously happy to be out in the crunchy leaves, all dry and colored red, gold, orange on the ground...the sky just beginning to darken overhead, dark pink fading into a dusky grey...the fact that I was there, alive and beautiful just the way I am, just happy to be here on Planet Earth...and then I thought about all the things I have already experienced in my lifetime so far.

I've never made out an actual Bucket List, but I have scribbled down numerous "Happy" lists, with my dreams, wishes, hopes cramming every available bit of space on the pages. Here is what I've been able to cross off on my lists so far:

Been an overseas missionary
Traveled to Hong Kong and the Philippines, along with many U.S. states
Overcome infertility and given birth to three healthy beautiful babies
Given birth naturally, no drugs
Given birth standing up
Cut the umbilical cord of two of my babies
Fallen madly, passionately in love (more than a few times!)
Been married
Survived divorce
Experienced life choices that pushed my personal limits, and lived to tell about it!
Survived brain surgery
Raised three daughters on my own
Rescued four dogs, adopted each one, and nine cats
Finished Gratitude Training in West Palm Beach
Won a Fitness Contest (against women twenty years younger than me)
Won First Place in a Skeet Shooting contest for my age division
Written for three newspapers and won national and state awards
Been published in magazines, greeting card companies, newspapers, e-books
Survived serious ovarian disease
Gotten my RN
and the most important of all, I have led people to Christ Jesus.

What's next for me? What's next for you?