Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Bucket List - 40 Before 40

Several years ago, I wrote a short, "Bucket List".  Some of the items on it were goal and some were experiences I would  like to have.  I had a major health scare this summer, and I returned to my list to see what I'd checked off and expand on it. 

1. Run a Half Marathon   February 2015 Princess Half Marathon
2. Run a 10k February 2015 Enchanted 10k
3. Complete a runDisney challenge  February 2015 Glass Slipper Challenge
4. Visit Walt Disney World with my family  February 2015
5. Take a weekend get-away with my husband once a year  March 2014 & April 2015 Banff ,AB
6. Continue my education - I would like to complete my University degree using distance education  **I am working towards this goal and have completed one glass
7. Run a marathon
8. Run a race in Toronto's Scotiabank Waterfront race weekend
9. Take my sons to visit Dr. Greg Ryan with a donation for Mount Sinai's high-risk pregnancy program (the Doctor who performed the surgery that saved my sons life)
10. Attend a Toronto Blue Jays MLB game
11. Visit Prince Edward Island and Green Gables
12. Earn my runDisney Coast to Coast medal
13. Volunteer with a nation wide charity
14. Write more on my blog/continue to make online connections
15. Create and chair an event in my community to raise funds for a non-profit organization
16. Run a raise for a charity  February 2015 Glass Slipper Challenge for Chilren's Miracle Network
17. Visit Nashville
18. Host/create a 5k race in my community
19. Get a dog for my children
20. Visit the west coast of Canada (Vancouver or Victoria)
21. Travel to Hawaii (preferably Aulani :))
22. Visit the mountains  Banff, AB
23. Try skiing again
24. Take a family vacation in the summer - This is sort-of done because we did take a bit of a vacation this summer, but I'm not going to count it
25. Spend a day at a spa
26. Design/build a deck for my backyard
27. Connect with other bloggers from my province/surrounding provinces
28. Attend a blogging conference in Canada
29. Explore the idea of pubic speaking
30. Work on self-development
31. Show appreciation for friends and family around me each day
32. Coach my children's ball team/begin a ball team in my community Started a team and coached 2014 & 2015
33. Write a letter to each of my children to give them when they turn 18
34. Visit New York City
35. Run a race in New York City
36. Run a 5k with my daughter  CIBC Run for the Cure October 2014
37. Run a Disney 5k with my daughter
38. Run a Disney 5k with my husband and all three children
39. Run a Disney 5k with my husband while on a "adult-only" trip
40.

I know I may not probably won't do all this things before I turn 40, but I would like to try.  I am 34 now, and have already crossed many items off the list (because I wrote it a few years ago).  I may not get all the items completed, but if I set a goal to do so, I will certainly come closer than otherwise.  For some reason, I can't come up with #40....I suppose that means it will stay blank until I find something else I would really like to see/do.  The other reason I would like to attempt to this all before 40; because we never really know how long we have.  I don't want to take my list of things I would like to see and constantly put them off.  My health scare taught me that we never know what will happen and we need to live for each day.  

Question of the Day: Do you have a bucket list?

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Random Acts of Kindness

In August I spent 10 days at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatchewan.  It felt like a really long time.  While there, I was so appreciate of the amazing, professional staff who helped treat me.  I switched rooms three times and was placed on two different wards and don't have a negative thing to say about anyone who cared for me.  But, that being said, there was one nurse who went above and beyond duty.  She was kind, compassionate, and advocated for me.  She made me laugh at the times when I needed it the most and did everything in her power to make my stay more comfortable.  When the Doctors hadn't stopped to see me with results from a test, she would call them.  She offered me support and comforting words at the most critical times.  I was truly grateful for her presence but wasn't sure how to properly say thank you. 

Yesterday, I was back at RUH to do tests and meet a lung specialist.  I had several hours of waiting and decided to do some Random Acts of Kindness, one in honour of each of my children.  I picked up three $10 gift cards to Starbucks (which is on the main level of the hospital).  I immediately remembered Dominique, and how amazing she was to me, so decided to deliver one gift card up to the Oncology ward where she worked.  I wrote on the other two cards and tried to decide how to give them out. 

Oddly, I was feeling a little shy and didn't want to walk up and hand them to people.  I am not sure why, but just didn't have it in me.  Instead, I stuck them in two random spots on the main "mall" area of the hospital where someone would be guaranteed to see them.  I hope they found their way to someone who was having a bad day and brightened it up even a little.  After spending time in the hospital, I found that it was very stressful and sometimes the smallest things comforted me.   

There's my most recent Random Act of Kindness.  I hope they brighten someone's day and in turn, I hope they pay it forward.  Happy Tuesday!!