A year to live

What would top your Bucket List if you had a year to live?

This was the topic of our conversation at dinner last week. Not because any of us are dying (well, we’re all dying), but it came up while discussing the book I just finished, “Being Mortal” by surgeon Atul Gawande. The book discusses, among other things, how priorities changed for people depending on how much time they thought they had left.

Those who thought they were near the end focused more on family, friends, and comfort, while those with their entire lives in front of them were more likely to explore new connections, pursue long-term achievements, and ignore their family.

I was encouraged to think that I wouldn’t be doing things a whole lot differently than I am now. The main thing is I would push forward some trips that have been in planning for a while. I would return to Kansas City to visit friends, I would embark on one last big adventure (Long’s Peak, el Camino, the Incan trail, etc), and I would keep doing what I’m doing. Working at a job I love, playing sports, being with family, volunteering with camp, enjoying creation.

I will admit that in the little things, I could do a much better job of making the most of each day. After all, no one wants to think back in their final moments about how much time they wasted surfing the internet or doing Sudoku. So perhaps one of my resolutions in the new year could be to spend less time on things I might regret and more time on things that make my life more full.

Life to the full. That should be on everyone's Bucket List.