What's on your list?

There comes a time when we are forced to look at our lives with a discerning eye and ask ourselves, will I have any regrets? Have I done the things I want to do? Seen the things I want to see? Hug the people I want to hug? Every so often we are thrown a curve ball; the type that comes out of nowhere, smokes us in the gut and wakes us up from the regular haze of routine. A death, an illness, a close call in the car; all of these can contribute to us questioning our lives and the paths we have taken.

Most have a bucket list even if they don't know it. That list of things you must do in your life time to ensure that when you are knocking at death's door, you can walk through and not look back. For some this could be jumping out of a plane and for others it could be finally getting the chance to brush lips with the person they have secretly been in love with from the moment they met. Learning a new language or even just learning how to read, every one of us is different as are our wishes and dreams.

My own list is simple, not extravagant, except maybe wanting to visit the moon. I want to know genuine happiness, real love and exceptional friendships. I want to be able to sing karaoke in public without shaking and blushing. I want to ride an elephant and swim with dolphins. I am determined to hear good music, everyday, for the rest of my life. I want to see my daughter grow into a unique, intelligent and independent woman. I want to make a difference in at least one person's life. I don't want to leave a carbon footprint, the only footprints I want to leave are on the hearts and in the minds of those I love. I want to photoshop a second eye on a picture of my dog just to see what she looked like before I knew her. I want to look through my telescope and see a UFO. I want my parents to look at the person I have become and be proud of their accomplishment and know that they did a good job despite my best efforts over the years to sabotage their hard work.

Sometimes we grow complacent and forget that in the grand scheme of things our lives are but a speck of sand in the hourglass of time. We forget what new love feels like and are happy to sit on the same couch every night, beside our partner, saying nothing and watching other people's lives unfold on screen. We forget to hug our children and check on them before we go to bed. We forget to tell our loved ones that we love them. We forget to love ourselves. We are all so busy acquiring stuff, running around and worrying about being late, we forget to stop. Just stop, breathe and appreciate everything life has to offer. The simplest things really; buzzing bees, fluffy clouds and aromatic flowers.

I'm going to add one more thing to my bucket list and that is to do what I have mentioned above; simply stop, look around and be thankful for the little things. When it really comes down to it, without the little things, the bigger stuff wouldn't even exist. Life is a special thing, not just for some but for everything living and breathing. The sooner we realise this, the sooner we can truly start living without regret and fear of missing out and the easier it will be to eliminate that list.