Bucket List

It may seem crazy to be thinking of a bucket list for a baby under six months.  But I’ve given it a lot of thought.  We just met with our geneticist last Thursday.  Among other things, we discussed end-of-life care for Niko.  As I was sitting in that office in disbelief that we were talking about end-of-life business while Niko is just at the beginning of life, I realize that it’s our duty as parents to make sure she has some fun in this short life.  Some serious fun!  I’m not talking about a picnic under a tree.  She’s got bigger things in mind.  No, not a trip to Disneyland.  She’s not into the magical kingdom.  She deserves much more, and while she’s young enough to do it. 

That sounds crazy right?  Young enough?  She’s just shy of six months.  But one of the things that hit home during our discussion with the geneticist is that she’s at her strongest now.  She can potentially survive the flu now, but the flu when she’s five years old will most likely kill her.

Hence the bucket list. 

Because she is my daughter, I can really hear the following requests in her bones.  No, they are more like demands.    

So the following is the list in Niko’s own words. 

            I want to eat Pistachio gelato while floating in a gondola in Venice.

I want to eat a hot crepe while watching my sister ride on a pony in the Jardin du Luxemberg in Paris. 

I want to watch a shadow puppet show with my cousins in Linping, China.

I want to float down the Li River in Guilin.

I want to run my toes in the clear blue Mediterranean Sea.

I want to listen to the cowbells of happy cows in the Swiss Alps from the back seat of a bicyle.

I want to taste perfect al dente pasta cooked by the mother of some guy named Giuseppe.

I want to ride in a high-speed train, to any destination.

I want to watch the Nutcracker, Live. 

I want to go to an outdoor concert.

I want to taste something spicy and then regret having asked for it.

I want to watch my sister dance on stage oneday.

Disclaimer:  I reserve the right to add to or edit the bucket list from time to time.  Though I acknowledge that the list in its entirety may not be realized, I fully expect at least three of the bullet points to come to fruition (favouring, in particular, my toes in the Mediterranean sea thing).