What Is On Your Life List? By Pennie Hunt

​Last night I watched the movie, “The Life List.” Yes, it is a romcom. Yes, it is a bit predictable at times. And yes, oh yes, it made me think.

As the trailer describes, it is the story of how a young woman embarks on a journey of self-discovery, working through a list of goals she wrote as a teenager. At the request of her late mother, she confronts her grief while finding the courage to live a full life.

I have been thinking about this movie all day. I am not sure if the term bucket list was a thing when I was young, but I am sure I had ideas in my mind that I wanted to do, things I wanted to have, and expectations I held for my life. Unfortunately, I never wrote them down. At least I have never come across the list if I did.

I did write back then. I wrote a poem when I was 16 about how I wanted 3 kids – Jimmy, Johnny, and Angela Dawn. I still have the poem written on hot pink paper. I was close- I had Jeremiah, Jameson (J.T.), and Sarah. My poem didn’t include divorce or the loss of a baby (Jake) and the loss of my 22-year-old son, J.T.  I didn’t expect or predict the hard times that we all inevitably have in life. None of us do.

When I was young, I thought I would be a teacher. I look at my life now and I think I am. I teach through my writing, speaking, and the life lessons I share. Today, ​I​ ​tried to remember what else I wanted. What didn’t I do on my young life list?

I wanted to play piano. When I was a child, we had an organ. I hated the organ lessons I took and would dream of my hands dancing across the keyboard of a beautiful piano. I wanted to be a wonderful singer (you don’t want to hear me sing.) I wanted to ice skate like Dorothy Hamill. (I was pretty good at this.) I wanted to dance with John Travolta – this goes back to the Grease movie. What teenage girl didn’t want to dance with John Travolta?  

What do I want now?

I have always wanted a house with a front porch big enough for a porch swing like my grandmother had.​ A safe place to daydream, drink coffee, and write. I still dream of this.

I would love to take painting lessons at the Bob Ross studio. ​Again, spurred by my grandmother, who spent hours duplicating his painting​ style as she watched him on TV. This was my inspiration to learn and enjoy painting.

I want a photo of me standing in a field of blooming sunflowers. I want to be able to make cinnamon pecan rolls like my mom did. I want to spend as much time as I can with my family and people I love and care about. I want to see every sunrise with a cup of coffee in hand and my dogs on my lap​ - preferably on a porch swing.

​As I write this life list today, what I want now are simple things. Although I do want to travel more and London, France, and Ireland are on my list. But taking that sunflower photo would not be difficult. I could find a place for that porch swing. I have my mom’s pecan roll recipe. It all requires me putting in the effort and allowing the time to do it.

What did you have on your life list when you were young? What would you put on your life list now? When will you begin putting in the effort and allowing the time to do these things? If not now, when?

And now I am off to the kitchen. Flour, cinnamon, pecans, and a rolling pin are waiting for me.
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                                                Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                Create your life list and do the things you want to do.
                                                   If not now, when?
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YOUR TURN...        
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