Last summer I hand-wrote a pretty lofty, but doable list and taped it on the front of my refrigerator. It was our summer bucket list.
My daughters are at this great age where it’s very easy to take them places. At the beach they carry their own bags, at the pool they can swim with supervision but not constant helicoptering, and at the regional park they can hike and walk without needing to be carried. This school-aged independence has made for super active {read super-fun and super-exhausting} summers in the last year or two.
Last summer’s bucket list had about 35 activities on it and they ranged from the exciting to the normal. And I think by Labor Day we had ticked off nearly all of them.
Go to Art Camp
Go on a nature walk at the nature center.
Collect seashells at the beach
Play-date with Audrey and Amelia
Pack a picnic and take it to the park
An “I’m-bored” gets met with “Let’s-pick-something-from-the-bucket-list.” So the days we’re all tempted to play video games and eat chocolate covered pretzels turn into days we play tag in a field. We do things that are a little outside of our comfortable zone and we all end up loving it.
School is nearly out for us and I’m thinking about what things I want to include on a summer bucket list for my almost-first-grader and my almost-fifth-grader this year.
Then I thought: What would a Mom-bucket list look like?
What if we, as moms and dads, as women, married or unmarried, as daughters of the Kingdom, created bucket lists for ourselves.
We might choose things that put us a bit out of our comfortable places, that take us up off the couch, that let us interact with people and in places that we wouldn’t normally be. We could create “bucket lists” that help further the Kingdom and help reach out with love and grace to others. What if we…
Invite the next door neighbors over for a BBQ {You know – the ones we never talk to?}.
Volunteer a Saturday and do errands for an older couple in the community.
Sign up to mentor a pregnant teen or an at-risk child in our town.
Write our sponsor child several times before the summer is over (or sign up to sponsor one!)
Drive someone somewhere who needs a ride.
Memorize a poem or a chapter of the Bible.
Researched an organization we were always curious about.
If we blog, write about your current struggles (with grace) rather than stuff we’ve already overcome.
Begin the thing we’ve been waiting to do {adoption process, writing a book, starting your business)
The list doesn’t have to be long but it should be slightly different than what you normally do, a bit uncomfortable even. Let us come into this brilliant summer with others on our mind and with hearts open to give and to love.
Add your own: What is something you can do this summer to a.) get out of your comfort zone and b.) share love with someone else?
Leave a Comment
Kerry @ Made For Real says
This is just what I needed to motivate me to make the actual list! Yea! The support of others is a great comfort. In it together. The reaching out thing is top on my list this summer for “want to’s” – especially in the depresssed little corner of the world our family lives. Thanks for the motivation!
Sarah Markley says
Oh yes! I’m beginning to think of some ways to reach out this summer too. =)
Dawn @ My Home Sweet Home says
I’m still working on overcoming the feeling that I have little people to take care of and I have to stay on the sidelines. My youngest will be 7 this month. No more excuses!
Sarah, one of my daughters told me last night that going to a laundromat was on her bucket list. I told her it isn’t as glamorous as she thinks because you just sit there waiting for your laundry. 🙂
Sarah Markley says
ahh! yes. You have way more kiddos than I do but I feel childhood slipping past me too (my little is 6 1/2). No more sitting on the sidelines, right =)
i hope she has fun at the laundromat. Speaking of laundromats, our church participates in Laundry Love. Google it; it would be an amazing thing to start in any city. =)
Tami Grandi says
It’s interesting that you write this- today (june 2) is my last day of being 36- tomorrow I turn 37. Being single, never married, no kids at this point in my life was definitely not where I thought I would be but God has used this season to grow me and stretch me. I decided a few weeks ago to create a 38 before 38 list. It’s a list of 38 things that I want to do before my next birthday one year from now. Some of them are trivial, some of them could have longer lasting impact, some of them will take me out of my comfort zone, some of them will challenge me in other ways. Either way they go they are my year’s “bucket list” and I look forward to crossing them off my list (even the scarier ones) . It will post tomorrow morning (June 3). Thanks for sharing this!
Sarah Markley says
oh i love it tami! and i think that “trivial” things work in well with the “big” ones. good luck to you as you work through your list! =)
Christen says
When I turned 38, I didn’t know that it would be that year that I would meet my wonderful now-husband and that 4 years later, I would be expecting my/our first baby. The good ones are not all taken. I don’t know why some people have to wait longer than others. Enjoy your list!
Sarah Markley says
what a wonderful, sweet story Christen!
Tami Grandi says
Thank you for sharing this and sharing your story. I needed that encouragement today!
Beth Williams says
Christen,
It took God 39 (almost 40) years to give me my sweet loving hubby. We have been married 8 years. I believe that God’s timing is perfect–he has some wait till they or the mate He has chosen for them are mature and ready for married life.
Enjoy your list!
Naomi PuzzlePeace says
I would like to see your buc ket list maybe you would inspire me.
Naomi
Gina {Seamless} says
Such a good idea. It’s easy to let Summer pass us by. I’d like to be more intentional about this one. Thank you for the reminder.
Sarah Markley says
thank you Gina!!
Beth Werner Lee says
This is such a good thing!
It’s inspiring me to get out on paper, and then hopefully do, things I’ve been wanting to do around here for 4 years! Thank you.
My current struggle is with overcoming fear about signing up to go see our Compassion child! Price, and getting permission.
Sarah Markley says
oh! i will be praying today that you can do that! what a joy that is. We were able to visit one of ours in February. Such a life changing experience. =)
julie+ says
love this sarah and now know what i want to do as i “plan” my summer.
thank you!
Sarah Markley says
thank you julie!
Sarita says
I enjoy reading all of the comments on all of the posts. Thnk you to all who comment.
Sarah Markley says
i agree sarita! =)
Jacquelyn says
Sarah,
I have been so blessed by you since finding your blog a couple of weeks ago. Your words speak to my heart and really help me to dig up the stuff that is not of Him and work to replace it with His Truth. Thank you for sharing your journey. You are helping this sister in her walk with the Lord. 🙂 I appreciate you!
Joni says
What a great idea! Thank you, Sarah, for sharing it.
We’re moving later this summer, but I/we really need to take time out for fun.
1. Writing “go to a Dodger’s game” on my list. Not so much into baseball on TV, however, it’s much more fun with so much to watch at a real game!
2. Think I’ll go to the local swimming hole and actually get in the water, too…
3. Working to help a family get furniture. They have nothing but mattresses since their move this week from a travel trailer to a fixer-upper rental house. God’s good, I’ve already found a refrigerator for them!
Blessings!
Jennifer Bias says
I love this! What a wonderful thing to do with my boys! I can’t wait to find out what things they will come up with for their summer bucket lists. This was also a reminder for me. In January I wrote twelve things I wanted to do/focus on this year, calling it twelve in twelve. I even posted it on my blog. (Blogging is on the list actually) Well, I haven’t looked at that list for quite some time…so its time to revisit and get going on all those things now that we have made the move from CA to TN! Thanks for your beautiful and inspiring writing.
Liz says
This is an interesting article and suggestion today. More because our pastor has gone on sabbatical to Scotland and a family vacation (4 mos), all much needed by a wonderful person to all of us at our church.
Every year he plans a “Celebration Sunday” and presents to us in some incredibly creative and wonderful way which we, his worship committee, try to help him with setting up. It’s been fun!
This year, in his absence we have planned our Celebration Sunday to be about sabbatical and choosing what we will do for ourselves to renew ourselves as he is, so we will all have stories to share about our own sabbaticals when he returns in September. Tomorrow we choose to set goals for our mind, body, emotions, spirit in areas of family or quiet or nature or health, all which of course overlap in many ways…
I think summer is a wonderful time to have posted your article and encourage these kinds of reflections after what may have been stressful work/school/flu seasons for many people. And for us to remember that when we don’t nourish our own spirits we may not be good for ourselves or for anyone else.
God bless you fellow readers (and you wonderful bloggers whom we look for for some inspiration and motivation) this summer as you set your goals and remember yourselves in the package of your family life!
Kathy @ In Quiet Places says
When my girls were young, their favorite thing we did every summer, and they always remind me, was Christmas in July, we always planned a fun craft, a group of friends to do it with, and it was usually an ornament, or some kind of Christmas decor that we had a lot of fun making, then putting away and anticipating bringing out again at Christmas. A Christmas treat was always part of the fun, too.
It was a fun way to try a new Christmas recipe and Christmas craft idea, and turned out to be a great memory builder.
Beth Williams says
Not sure what my bucket list will look like. One thing I intend on doing is running my first 5K race. It will also includ getting into weightlifting and working out more than I do now. Interesting concept of a summer bucket list.
Teri says
Love all the summer bucketlist ideas. Our daughter is going to be a senior in college this year and is a music education major…one of the things she wants to do this summer (and I want to tag along) is to go to one of the local retirement centers and just play the piano (her instrument of choice) and play songs that the older ones would recognize, whether secular or Christian. She has a heart for helping people through music, and even has done some research that music hits a part of the brain that allows old people who even have alzheimers to connect with their youth, even when they don’t remember anything else…I am so excited to see what this will bring…to see what kind of relationships God will make through this one act. I can’t wait to go and watch and pray on the sidelines!!!
Suzanne says
Oh you just wait!! Yay!! It’s gonna be incredible for you I assure you. I went with my son and was on the sidelines as he did his weekly piano playing at our local children’s hospital. I cannot wait for you to see how people react. It’s miraculous on so many different levels and I bet you’ll have proud, loving tears for your daughter as well. 🙂
Launi Rogers says
I love this post! I am a grandmother who cares for a 7 and 12 year old because their single mom works this summer full time.. So I need a Bucket list and lots of ‘free’ things to do too. Thank you for the encouragement…..Praying for men mentors for my 7 year old grandson. My granddaugher had people in her life….
Thank you!!!
Kim says
Oh, it would definitely be to host a gathering around a meal. Always had lots of plans, but always hold back because of silly “what ifs”.
Must speak with hubby about this and make plans, since he is the griller. 🙂
I love the idea of your mom summer bucket list!
Danielle Cooper says
Awesome! I’m making a summer list for the kids and myself!’. Thanks!
Missy says
I love this! My daughter and I started making our own summer bucket list, and when I told my husband, He asked if I was dying! love it! Can’t wait to get started!
Dana @ Cooking at Cafe D says
We do this!
We have a large length of buther paper hanging from the back of our living room door. It’s curled a little like a scroll. We have places we want to camp, restaurants to try, museums, boat tours in the city, recipes we want to try (our 14 year old likes to cook), etc.
Then, I have a bucket list for just my husband and me. Schedules of upcoming plays, quiet dinner suggestions, etc.
We are making good use of our lists 🙂
I really like having ideas