Reverse Bucket List

Bucket lists are kind of depressing.  I mean, yes, it’s good to have goals and dream big.  But a list that year after year has no more items crossed out is depressing.  It’s also pretty common if you have small children.  My lovely little baby who is the apple of my eye is also the one I often refer to as “my little anchor”.  She just makes it so difficult to do things!  Almost as if I had an anchor chained to my ankle.  Try unpacking a van full of boxes with a baby.  Or with an anchor.  Very similar.  Now imagine trying to backpack around Asia or join the Peace Corps or get your PhD with a baby.  Ummmm… yeah.  Anchor.  Add three more kids on top of the baby.  Here’s my cartoon of what that might look like:

Now mind you, I’m not complaining.  I love my kids and my baby and I‘m content with my life.  But the thought of a bucket list gets me down a bit. 

I recently I heard about the “reverse bucket list”.  That’s a list of what you HAVE done in your life.  Now that’s my kind of list.  No pressure, no expectations.  Just reflecting and enjoying what life has brought you and what you have made of life.  Because some of the most “buckety” experiences in life are ones that you never would have thought to put on a list.  Here’s my reverse bucket list, and I’d love to read some of yours in the comments.  What makes your life exciting, unique, spicy, special, triumphant, and fabulous?

My Reverse Bucket List:

• Rocked the Air Force Basic Training in Texas for four weeks plus a week in medical hold
• Gave birth to four children, one of them fabulously all-natural, with no complications
• Graduated from Coon Rapids High School with highest honors
• Provided free cloth diapers to a crap-load of local families through Teeny Greenies
• Was a National Language Arts Olympiad
• Joined Mensa
• Was baptized Mormon (I know, I know, you’re thinking “wha-wha-wha-whaaaaaat?”, it was great though, I’ll tell you about it sometime)
• Taken three of my children camping before they were a year old
• Nurtured a culture of appreciation for nature, athletics, and the arts in our home
• Have never turned down a request to let someone live on my couch (or extra bedroom or basement)
• Won a National Merit Scholarship
• Attended college through the ninth month of two pregnancies
• Hosted painting parties
• Got my tongue pierced
• Became a Red Cross certified Lifeguard
• Bladed the Northshore Inline Marathon for four years,  improving each year except the year I did it pregnant and had to take it slow
• Breastfed three (gonna be four) of my kids for over a year
• Went caving with Mitch
• Let my kids play hooky.  Often.

I’m sure there are more of course, but those are the ones that sprung to mind first and make me feel all warm and happy and proud inside when I list them.

My New Year’s Resolution?  Add more things to my reverse bucket list in 2011, whatever they may be.