Somewhere, somehow in the past week or so I have heard this said. “You get to the point where there are more years that you have lived than years you have left. That focusses you and makes you more aware of needing to do things while you can.”
Like I said, I can’t remember whether I heard this on the radio, or in a conversation I had with some or maybe I read it somewhere. I seem to do a bit of that lately. I remember this information coming to me, but not from who and what source. Another funny little Parkies trick I guess.
The point is that it got me thinking about what I want to do with the years I have left. I feel I have given up some things not altogether willingly, such as selling my bike and my static exercise bike, because others (mainly) have been concerned about my wellbeing and safety. We have raised gardens around our property and my husband has asked me not to get up on them because he is concerned about falls risk. I have promised I will not get up there. He also doesn’t want me on step stools to reach things in the top of the pantry, so I don’t and have to ask him to do it. I feel like I am losing my independence a bit because of it, but acknowledge that these things I have been asked to – or decided to – give up are in the interests of risk minimisation and that is understandable.
Now the newest thing is that we are going to Rarotonga at the end of June and have heard that they have had a breakout of Dengue Fever on the islands. This can be quite unpleasant I understand, but some feedback from a Raro Facebook page seems to infer that if we smother ourselves in an insect repellant containing Deet and wear trousers and long-sleeved shirts that we should be OK.
I feel now in a bit of a quandary. Do we stock up on repellant, make sure we pack lightweight and light-coloured clothing – mozzies like and are attracted to bright colours apparently – we are probably going to be OK. The thing is, I know that this trip is likely to be the last trip to Rarotonga. My husband told me recently that he wasn’t that worried if we never went back, but we are going because I want to go. That is so typically lovely of him. There’s more discussion to be had and I am now watching a Rarotonga visitors Facebook Page – made up of hints and tips from other travellers – to see what others feel about going or whether there are people out there who have been and advised whether it is wise to go. I am loathe to let go of my last option for a holiday to Rarotonga, but this needs more investigation, thought and joint decision making.
So, for me bucket lists are very important. I have always wanted to go to Denmark to see the land where my mother’s paternal forebears came from. I hope that if I do get to go that it feels the same as the first time I went to England. I honestly stepped off the plane in London and felt I had come home. It didn’t feel like a foreign land at all. It was the land of my father and generations before him and I loved it immediately.
Another thing on my list is that I would like to see more of France. Not Paris – which we went to on our honeymoon – sounds really romantic, but it was dirty, the people we came across were not very friendly and expensive. I want to explore little French villages and countryside. I also would like to go to Italy, I understand Tuscany is very beautiful.
So, for me I want to use whatever my allocation of years there is, while I am reasonably physically able, to tick off the bucket list and make some more beautiful memories with my husband, friends, relatives in the UK and my grown-up children and their children. I include in my children my daughter-in-law who is a treasure and a great Mum to our Grandboys. However, I give thanks every day that I don’t have to deal with my daughter’s husband, soon to be ex. While she is so much happier I also need to help her with some ‘stuff’ but that is a long and complicated story that is not mine to tell.
So bucket listing might be entering a more serious stage where we plan lots of fun things to do on our UK trip. If we look at what we want to do and how we prioritise, I have said I am approaching that decision with the thought that this is our last chance. It well may not be, but in case it is we need to do as much as we can while we can.
Perhaps think about what you have always wanted to do.
Is it within reach physically and/or financially?
Can you adjust a goal to be realistic for you? If it is a trip you want, perhaps you might want to have trips within your own country that you have not got to. You cannot get to the end game and realise that you left undone things that had importance to you.
Here goes
Bucket List
No.1 on my list at the moment is Rarotonga.
Will we get to go???
My journey with Parkinsons 