Welcome 2012 -- The Year I was Supposed to Die

We should certainly count our blessings,
But we should also make our blessings count.
                             --Neal A. Maxwell

A friend of mine gave me this quote in vinyl for Christmas. It's my mantra for 2012 because I'm going to approach 2012 a little differently.

I'm not talking about typical New Year's resolutions or even a word to focus on like I have the last few years. This year is going to be different.

Why? 

Because I was supposed to die in 2012 and since I dodged that bullet (or polyp) I intend to make the most of it.

Five years ago I had a colonoscopy. I wasn't yet the age where it's recommended. In fact I had to jump through all kinds of hoops in order to get it done and even then we had to pay a pretty hefty and inconvenient portion of the bill. I had it done because of my mother's urging, which bordered on nagging, but I love her (and in hindsight I'm so grateful) so I'd rather characterize it as urging. My younger cousin was dealing with colon cancer and mom wanted all of her children to get a colonoscopy to ease her mind.

Mine revealed eight precancerous polyps, three of which were really large and positioned in a way that, according to the doctor, "by the time they became symptomatic, it would have been too late. You'd have been dead in five years."

This is the fifth year. This was the year I'd have died--while my son was on his mission, before any of my children were married, before my husband and I could fulfill many of our goals and long before I was ready to die.

Because I'll be living through 2012 instead of dying, I intend do what the quote says. I want the blessing of this year to really count. I want to do some of the things my family and I have wanted to do. We sat down together and made a list. It included:

Go to Music and the Spoken Word
Finish The Husbandmaker
Work on Big House in the Little Valley (my autobiography)
Do baptisms for the dead as a family
Run 1/2 marathon
Run a 5K with my family
Read Christ and the New Covenant
Do 48 acts of kindness for my birthday (more on that later)
Hike back up to where I split my head open
Go Hang gliding (if it isn't too expensive)
Bowling (if I can make myself put my feet in the shoes)
Visit Grandpa and Grandma on their mission in Toronto
Take opportunities to serve others
Visit the Church museum
Go to a Jazz game (I'd like it to be when they play Jimmer, but we'll see)
Organize and de-clutter my house
A couple of other personal things

I'm excited to work on this list. I don't want to just get through this year. I want it to be meaningful. I want this year to be filled with important things,  beautiful memories and wonderful experiences. I want it to set the stage for the rest of my life--a life that really matters. A life that blesses others. A life that's filled with joy.

I already have so many blessings. This year I want to make those blessings count.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 
May we all live it well!

Comments

Scott / Lori said…
Great list! So glad you listened to Mom. Now I better get on a list of my own. Happy New Year, glad you are here. Love you.
missy said…
Sounds like a great approach to me! I hope 2012 is your best year so far.
Kristi said…
I didn't know that your polyps were that serious. Whew! Sure glad you dodged that bullet. I like your 2012 bucket list.
I can't even think of that many things I want to do this year.
Happy 2012! May is be a great one!
Camelia said…
Just saw MI IV and have to admit while Tom did a great job acting, the story let me down. Great effects, the cast versatile, but the plot made me yawn. Really? Couldn't they think of a better story than Americans and Russians going after each other (mistakenly) because of some nuclear bomb? So overly done, so... decades ago.
I haven't read the books you mention here, but definitely your observation will stick to my head when I'll go see the movie. Based on your description it seems Hugh Jackman sounds like a better pick, don't you think? I fell in love with him as Wolverine ;))))
Anonymous said…
I like your list. My list will have to be related to our upcoming missionary service.
More importantly...you are here! I am so grateful for that. What a blessing you are to me and to all of the family. Stick around a long time, you are loved and you are needed. Every day my family is with me is another "tender mercy" from Heavenly Father. LMH
John said…
Thank Heavens you are here. We like having you around. Thanks to MH for pushing to take care of those important things.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
I like your list. I need to sit down and make a 'master' list of all the things I'd love to do. Then narrow it down to probably one. :)
Melissa said…
I love your list of things to do this year! I have already done the first thing on your list, and it was amazing!!