Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Alice Pyne's Bucket List

People tend to think they'll live forever, even though logically they know it's not true. But what if you knew your time on earth was coming to an end? Would you attack your Bucket List with a vengeance, just cry and feel sorry for yourself, or make the most of your last days?

 

One young 15-year-old girl in the UK named Alice finds herself in exactly that position. She has terminal cancer, but she started a blog to share news with her friends, family, and total strangers like me. Her blog includes her Bucket List.

 

Being the skeptic I am, I wanted to check the validity of her story before sharing it with others. Here is a link to her story from the British Prime Minister.

 

The remarkable thing about her blog is that she is not asking for donations or money; she wants ALL people to register to become bone marrow donors. What an amazing goal for a young girl, and one the Prime Minister endorses.

 

We can't control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to challenges. Our responses to those obstacles are an important part of who we are. We have an ideal opportunity to share our experiences through an Ethical Will, or love letter to our families. One of my goals is to encourage everyone to write a simple Ethical Will at whatever stage of life they are in.

 

Working with high school groups, I showed them how easy the process is to create an Ethical Will. Ideally, it can be updated every five years or so, or before or after milestone events. The great thing about starting an Ethical Will at an early age is being able to look back on how someone's personal values have changed over the years.

 

The other benefit at any age is having a heartfelt message to share with family and friends. In addition, it is a wonderful way to open the door to communication, preferably while the author is still alive. If we let others know just how much they mean to us now, consider how much closer we can become. That's what life is all about.

 

Have you created a Bucket List or started your own Ethical Will? I'd love to hear about your experiences.

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