Our world is consumed with lists. We have grocery lists, task lists, wish lists, checklists, and of course, the most popular among Humanity, the Bucket List.

When I was younger, I dreamed of all the places I wanted to see and of all the things I wanted to do before that day when I took my last breath. I have been somewhat lucky in that I have been able to check some of those things off. My bucket list was never as large and elaborate as some I have crossed paths with but it had flavor.

Although I have not been able to check off all my items at 38, life is still very much flowing through my veins.

Life is what we make of it, right? Well, if this is the case, my life isn’t complete just yet.

See, despite being indoctrinated with the traditional mantra of what a Mexican-American girl should accomplish in life, marriage, and kids, I myself never wanted to be a Mom.

During my Barbie and Cabbage Patch Kids years, I could never understand why someone would willingly want to take on the duty of caring for someone. I never made this feeling public for fear of being shunned within the cultura of my family. However, despite my feelings towards children when I was younger, I would never take back the days I felt life within me and the days I welcomed them into my arms for the first time.

Being a Mom might not have been on my original bucket list, but I am glad it made its way onto it.

My bucket list took a detour along the way, and now this list encompasses a much more different approach. Some of the things I wanted to do as a younger girl now consist of doing them with the Best two souls I was given.

Running my first 5k had more heart and soul into it, knowing my children were waiting with pride at the finish line for me.

Slow dancing in the rain with a loved one had a different kind of amor built into it. Although I am sure they may not remember, I slow danced in the rain with each of my babies. The feeling of love coming from their eyes as they looked into mine and hearing my heartbeat was a much better feeling than dancing in the rain with the man whom I considered the “love of my life.”

The bucket list of my youth started to grow as a family bucket list. The kids are now hoping to visit IKEA in the store’s home country, Sweden. We were even able to complete another family IKEA milestone a few years ago when we visited every IKEA in Texas…yes, all 3 of them.

Now I look forward to enjoying my bucket list with them, visiting Puerto Rico, and walking along the beaches together as a family. We hope to visit NOLA as a family, and although my original plan was to celebrate Mardi Gras in NOLA that will just have to be at some other point of time in my life. Tornado chasing, well, that may very well be the only original thing on my bucket list I will have to do alone. I don’t think my lovelies want to join in on that craziness.

“Guess it comes down to a simple choice, really, Get busy living, or get busy dying.” Shawshank Redemption

©Valerie