Why Families With Cancer Need an Epic Bucket List.
When my dad was diagnosed with Small Cell Lung Cancer the doctors told us that we had “days to weeks” to live.
Thankfully God had a better plan. Our cancer journey lasted 21 months and we fought a hell of a battle <3.
It was one of the most devastating, yet INCREDIBLE times of my life. A truly unforgettable experience that I’ll remember forever. And one of the best parts of our journey? It was FILLED with great times and happy memories because we made sure that was a priority for us.
You know that saying…
Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it.
Well, after we got over the initial shock of my dad’s diagnosis, and we sorted out the treatments and schedules, we decided that we had two options.
Spend our time worrying about the things we can’t change…
-or-
Go out and enjoy life right now, today… because we have no idea what might happen tomorrow.
We chose option two.
When cancer explodes into your family things get hectic, really fast.
- Intense treatment schedules
- Dealing with the fear and uncertainty
- Trying to balance everything getting thrown at you.
There is no “right way” to handle all this stuff. It’s insane, trying to manage everything.
Hint: If balancing this situation is your biggest struggle right now, the Cancer Binder Pack will walk you through the quick and easy system we use to organize medical information.
EVERYTHING the doctor needs to know is covered in this FREE printable pack with step-by-step instructions, printable forms, and monthly calendar pages so you can ALWAYS find what you need WHEN you need it.
You can get the Cancer Binder Pack FREE here…
The Power of a Bucket List.
A bucket list is NOT about dying. It’s about living…
The excitement started the minute we started writing down his bucket list. Just a simple list of the things he wanted to do before his time on this earth was over. As you would expect, it became a family bucket list where we planned some pretty amazing trips and found it was a great way to keep our strength and energy up.
I’m not talking about trips to see the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, overwater bungalows in Bora Bora, or the sea turtles in the Galapagos Islands (all though you could.)
I’m talking about trips you can plan throughout your cancer journey. Picnics at local state parks, day trips to beautiful beaches, and world-class museums (like the White House!) that are in your area.
A list of your favorite things and special experiences is one of the best ways for the entire family to stay strong and excited on the days that suck. And there are a lot of days that suck during cancer.
Once it was written down, it became our mission to make sure we did every single thing on that list. Since we live in upstate New York, but were getting treatment in New York City, we had so much fun planning little adventures to the best places around our appointments.
- We went to Broadway Shows (we found cheap tickets on Groupon).
- We took a road trip to North Carolina and spent some time with family.
- We created lifelong memories in the Adirondacks for the weekend.
- We had great food at Carmines and Rosie O’Grady’s.
- Took a boat tour to see the Statue of Liberty up close.
- We took a day trip (actually several!) to Central Park (great with young kids).
- We checked out the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.
Take Days Off When You Need It.
Some days were rough… and we couldn’t do anything.
Other days, our biggest achievement was sitting outside and watching the people.
But, we took advantage of every single good day and we focused on finding a better way to preserve Dad’s energy so that he could use it for the things he really wanted to do… like good times with his grandkids.
It’s human nature. We NEED things to be excited about, things to look forward to. If we don’t have that, what are we fighting for?
Are you excited to get up tomorrow morning and attend more treatment and appointments?
Probably, not.
A bucket list is not just a few cool places you want to see, a true bucket list should include everything that you want to…
- Do
- See
- Have
- Try
- Experience
Starting a bucket list is one of the best things you can do to take your life back from cancer.
Stewart Scott said it best… “You beat cancer by how you live.” It’s like telling cancer to f*** off. It doesn’t get to come in here, ruin your whole life, and then monopolize all of your time.
The bucket list will give you energy.
Because it’s about excitement, things to look forward to, and it gives you more reasons to keep fighting. All you have to do is go and have the best time ever!
If you need help getting started with ideas for your bucket list, check out this blog post with a TON of free and cheap options for your bucket list plus it includes some really good tips for traveling with cancer…
Keep Going
It’s human nature. We need things to be excited about and we MUST have things to look forward to. If we don’t, what’s the point?
So, when the first bucket list was done, we made another one, and this time…
- We had dinner at the World-Famous Culinary Institute of America (top of my bucket list for years!).
- We had our first visit to the 9/11 museum and cried our eyes out.
- We toured Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, one of the must-see attractions in Times Square.
- We attended a reunion with family members we hadn’t seen in years and had a great time.
- We took a last-minute cruise to Bermuda. (No lie, that was the trip of a lifetime)
Are you sensing a theme here?
The power of a bucket list is INSANE!
It Gives You Reasons to Keep Fighting
We need things to look forward to. Things to be excited about, think about and plan for. The more reasons you’re loved one has to keep going and keep fighting this thing, the better.
This is NOT about dying, it’s about living.
It’s about taking advantage of every single good day and finding more and more things that make you happy and give you a reason to keep going.
The most important lesson cancer teaches you.
Live your life today.
There are no guarantees, I could walk out of the house right now and get hit by a bus.
There might not be a tomorrow.
You get one shot. One chance to make this life amazing.
Do it today!
Even if you live for the next 80 years… It still won’t be enough time to do everything you want to do.
Want to experience the power of a bucket list for yourself? You can find instructions to build your own here…
P.S. If balancing this situation is your biggest struggle right now, the Cancer Binder Pack will walk you through the quick and easy system we use to organize medical information.
EVERYTHING the doctor needs to know is covered in this FREE printable pack with step-by-step instructions, printable forms, and monthly calendar pages so you can ALWAYS find what you need WHEN you need it.
You can get the Cancer Binder Pack FREE here…
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. We only recommend products that we use and LOVE. You can see our full disclosure here for further information.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
What a loving and inspirational story. Thank you so much for sharing. Living in the moment is a lesson for everyone and one I truly needed to hear today.
Life is short but memories last forever, so laugh just as much as you possibly can.
The positive sides of cancer teach you to take full advantage of every second you have and to laugh out loud as frequently as possible! 🙂