Yesterday was a great day. Here in Indiana, that warm weather we have been waiting for was finally here. Most schools are letting out this week, vacation planning is heating up…and before you know it, it will be October.
How does that happen? We enter summer with such optimism brought on by longer days, warm nights, and lots of sun. Yet it really does seem to be true: when it comes to summer, blink, and you will miss it – especially if you are running your kids around from one summer activity to another.
Remember the classic movie, The Bucket List, featuring Billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and car mechanic Cater Chambers (Morgan Freeman). As fate would have it, two men find they have two things in common: a need to come to terms with who they are and what they have done with their lives, and a desire to complete a list of things they want to do before they die. This movie and the idea of creating a bucket list have inspired many people to create their own. I too have created my own list, and it involves a few things to complete this summer. So as you think about your summer, why not consider creating your own list. Each of us has favorite things we think of as fundamental to do over the summer. However, we too often slide into a “we should do that sometime!” mentality, and it is far too easy for sometime to become never.
Bucket lists help set the tone for your summer, it will help you stay focused and probably best of all; it gives you something to look forward too. Over the Memorial Day weekend, take a few minutes and sit down with your family, and create the list together. This will hopefully get everyone’s buy-in and build some excitement for everyone involved. If there are some big line items, like taking a summer trip or starting a new family business, put them on the list, but try to keep your focus on activities that are more commonplace. Keeping it simple also keeps it attainable.
Bucket lists can be a wonderful tool for improving date nights. Is there a restaurant you have wanted to try? Have you talked about going back to the place you spent your honeymoon? How long has it been since you have been to a drive-in movie? What did you do together for fun when you were first dating that might have fallen by the wayside?
A bucket list is also a great way to jot down good ideas that will give the kids a fun summer without costing a mint. Think back to fond memories you had during your childhood summers, things you want your kids to also experience. You can ask your kids what their favorite things were in summers past. You might be surprised what stands out for them! Once you have your answers, put them in your bucket list.
Make sure you keep this a positive experience from start to finish. If your family loves a challenge, make a list on what you think you can realistically handle and vow to check off every single item, but do not go crazy with a 15-item list, better to keep it simple and focused. If you tend to be more laid back, try doing one a week.
Here are some suggestions to get you started! Have fun, take some pictures and post them on social media if that is your thing. Like the characters Edward Cole and Carter Chambers, it is better in my opinion to make the most of each day (in fact the bible even supports this idea – Ephesians 5:16), so that you won’t look back one day and wonder like they did, what they actually did with their lives.
- Make homemade ice cream or popsicles
- Attend an outdoor concert or movie
- Light sparklers
- Get wet! (Lake, pool, beach, sprinkler…whatever works!)
- Visit a u-pick for fresh strawberries, blueberries, peaches…whatever’s your favorite!
- Go camping – have a campfire. Make s’mores.
- Finish a home improvement project
- Go watch a professional baseball game
- Stargaze
- Go to the zoo
- Visit a waterfall
- Go fishing
- Have a picnic
- Try a cuisine you’ve never had before (Greek, Cajun, Indian)
- Go to a street festival or carnival
- Go sailing
Remember, if you will win at home, you will ultimately win in life! Get your summer off to a good start by creating your bucket list. And for this Memorial Day weekend, please take a moment to remember the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
God Bless,
Doug Hedrick