Tuesdays with Morrie: Week of 4/20/15

     After reading Tuesday's with Morrie thus far, I am completely intrigued and interested in hearing the rest of Morrie's story.  For some reason I thought this book was going to be boring.  Though I was so, completely, wrong!  The book is so intriguing, and very easy to get captured into.  Mitch and Morrie seem like they have an incredible relationship, even after the years in which Mitch had not gone to visit him; a relationship that I find beautiful and love to see develop further even this early in the book!  I would've loved to have met Morrie.  He has such an interesting personality, and I find that he is so positive, yet a realist at the same time, which I think is very interesting combination.  I can't believe how honest Morrie could be with himself about his death, yet stay positive through it all, and try not to feel bad for himself.  After being introduced to Morrie,  and then soon finding he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's (Lou Gehrig Disease) I found myself being a bit disappointed right from the beginning.  Even though I knew Morrie was going to be the main focus of the book, it still made me upset to know that he would be going, as Alzheimer's is terminal.  Like most of the characters or people in books, I begin to grow a connection, and actually care about them as I read, making it a lot harder when terrible things happen to them.  I started to feel a connection to Morrie.  He was this adorable old man, who taught life lessons, and was honest with you about life and the future, even if it wasn't something desirable to hear.  He showed so much love, care, and appreciation for his friends, family, and other acquaintances, and I knew he was someone who I wouldn't want to leave the world, especially not in the way in which he would; slowly being eaten up by death.  Even though the book has had a beautiful start, and has begun to lead us on Morrie's journey into death in a somehow interesting and wonderful way, I can't stop thinking about the fact that he is going to die, and it is unavoidable to keep it a secret until the end, because he was diagnosed with a terminal disease.  Somehow, I find it all so unreal, just like a regular old fiction story, but it actually happened.  I find I have to remind myself of that a lot.

     There are so many things I want to do before I die, some that are more fun, and some that are more serious.  Like most people, I would rather cross "Graduate College" off of my bucket list than "Swim with Dolphins."  Nevertheless, I want to know that I accomplished and lived life to the fullest before I "Kick the Bucket" and a bucket list will definitely set me up to absorb all different aspects of life and living before I pass on.  On a more general note, my bucket list will consist of traveling the world, going on adventures both small and large, and accomplishing academic/work goals.  Now obviously, that's extremely vague.  Most people include all of these things on their bucket list, though these three aspects of life: travel, adventures, and academics/work, are truly the foundation of my bucket list.  You never know when you're going to die, so you want to set up a bucket list from a younger age with a foundation like mine, so you can continue to cross things off of the list as you get older and get everything you can out of life through the list.  If for some reason, you pass on earlier than expected, at least you will have hopefully accomplished some things off of your list, which is my plan!  While it would be great to accomplish everything, it would be very difficult, and so I know that I will just keep crossing things off for as long as I can, and continue to come up with more things to do before I die based on travel, adventure, and education/work.

My Bucket List:
• Travel to all 50 United States
• Irish dance in Ireland
• Visit each of the 7 Continents
• Fly on an airplane, First Class!
• Take a road trip in an RV
• Watch every single Disney animated movie
• Have a chicken wing party with Citlalli
• Visit Dylan's Candy Bar
• See a show on Broadway

• Take a tour of the White House
• Go on the Disney Cruise
• Swim with dolphins
• Graduate from High School
•  Graduate from College
• Become a Physical Therapist
• Get Married
• Become a mother
• Read all of John Green's Books
• Fill a memory jar
• Collect Seashells
• Pull a legitimate all nighter
• Run a lemonade stand
• Spend an entire day at the move theatre
• Do the smoothie challenge with my best friends
• Make watermelon popsicles
• Finish a game of Monopoly
• Meet Brogan Mccay (Only Irish Dancers understand)
• Adopt a kitten

(Will add on as I think of more things)