I've always heard that when a person reaches the end of his life, he rarely regrets things he did. Instead, he regrets things he never did, things he was afraid to attempt or just never took the time to do. I've taken these words to heart and have accomplished many things in my half century here on planet Earth, but there are still things I'd like to do before I join my Maker.

1. I want to go to Scotland, the home of my ancestors. I want to see the hills named for my family and walk the paths they trod hundreds of years ago. Whenever I see pictures of Scotland, I feel a deep yearning to visit this beautiful land.

2. I want to own a horse that wins the Kentucky Derby and be there to revel in the victory. I've always loved horses, and the Derby is the pinnacle of all equine events. The thrill of seeing your animaml cross the finish line at the head of the pack is almost unimaginable!

3. I would like to author a novel on the best-seller list. I'm working on a book, but I never can seem to finish it. Maybe that's because I'm too busy writing on Helium!

4. I want to live to see my grandchildren finish college and become happy, successful adults. Right now, the oldest one is five, and the youngest is 18 months, so I have a while to wait for this.

5. I want to visit England and see all the places I've taught about in my classes: the Tower of London, the Lake District, Stratford-on-Avon, the Thames, Canterbury, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, the Houses of Parliament, Dickens' home in Kent, and Dorset, the home of my favorite poet, Thomas Hardy.

6. I want a big house on the Gulf of Mexico, large enough for my entire family - three daughters and sons-in-law and six grandchildren. Being near the water is very inspirational to me. I love watching the rise and fall of the tides and hearing the waves crash on the sand. I think living there full time would be a slice of heaven on earth.

7. I want to go on a horse-drawn sleigh ride. This might sound simple, but it's something I've always dreamed about. We only get snow about once every decade where I live, so this would be a real treat.

8. I want to earn or win enough money so that my family and I never have to worry about financial responsibilities again. I can't imagine what freedom from bills and having to worry about stretching a paycheck every month would be like, but I'd sure like to find out!

9. This goes back to #8. I'd like to have enough money to build a huge new animal shelter in my town and to set up scholarships for divorced and abandoned women. I was left with three small children and no job when my ex found a younger woman, so I know how difficult that can be. I had wonderful parents to help me, but not everyone is so lucky. Getting an education could help these women start over.

10. This is my "biggie." I would like to be able to totally turn my life over to God, so that I would be worry-free, knowing that He has a plan for my life and that nothing will happen that is not in His plan. I really try hard to think this way, but I'm human, so I keep trying to take control of things, as if I know better than He does.

My ultimate "wish list" might seem simple to some, but these are things I'd really like to accomplish before I go. I'm woking toward some of these goals already. I guess I'm hoping the others will just "fall into my lap." I've already lived a blessed 49 years, so if none of my top ten ever happen, I'll still be happy. But I sure would like to experience at least a couple of these!

Learn more about this author, Holle Abee.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about The top 10 things you want to do in your life?
We want to hear your view. Write now!