Waiting for the machine to make my hot chocolate this morning, I often browse whatever paper or magazine is nearest, desperately trying to avoid the politics and celeb culture tosh.
There was a story in The Times ( Friday 1st October 2010 – page 15 ) about a woman dying of cancer and a list she had written for her husband to carry out after she died. One hundred wishes, that she wanted her children to experience, love, enjoy or understand.
Similar to the Bucket List that Mrs WB has been drafting over the past few weeks and to the films that were being made by one of the characters in Things to do in Denver when you’re dead that I saw with Tuggster Rudd so many years ago.
Wiping a tear or two away, I started thinking about what I would want Worrybomb to know about or have in future. The woman in the article, Mrs Kate Greene asked in her 100 Wishes, for her husband to kiss the children twice before bed, to take them to the place where he had proposed to her, to deter them from smoking or riding motorbikes, to learn to play a musical instrument, to treat girlfriends with respect, instilling the principles she would have wanted to have done.
So as Dad, what I would want for Worrybomb. What sort of person do I want her to do, become, what things would I want her to experience and enjoy.
The item was also picked up in the Daily Express and Daily Mail. The Times version is only viewable if you subscribe to their site.
In my search for links to let you read the article, I also found this book 100 Good Wishes for Baby by Mina Parker that I think is rather sweet.
My one hundred wishes would be, for you, Worrybomb to:
- Be happy, see the positive in things
- Read and loose yourself in wonderful stories
- Be kissed goodnight
- Love music of all sorts
- Work hard
- Look after yourself and others
- Care about what and why you do things
- Travel, it really does broaden the mind
- Don’t be shy
- Be picked up and looked after when you hurt yourself
- Hug people
- Be friendly
- Respect
- Be respected ( this reminded me of you Farryn Zukerman and car doors! )
- Learn to play an instrument
- Tell others your feelings
- Enjoy what you do and do it well
- Don’t be afraid to fail
- Learn from the mistakes of others
More to come soon…
…have no regrets… as at at least one moment you wanted to do the thing you are now thinking about regretting!
…remember you don’t need to do what someone says for them to like you – and if you do, they aren’t worth you liking them!
… a smile and a question goes a long way, be it in a queue at Tesco, a party where you don’t know anyone, on a ferry. You meet the most interesting people when you aren’t expecting, talk to people, make them feel good and you will be amazed and the opportunities that present themselves.
Your first boyfriend shouldn’t be the last
Little things are important… if you only get excited about the big things you won’t have a very enjoyable life!
Mum and Dad will always be there no matter how bad things seem… they maybe angry, they maybe upset, but between you all anything can be sorted out.
Never tell anyone your passwords
Do scary things
Exams are important, but not the end of the world. Good marks are a short cut, but not getting them does not mean you can’t get where you want to go.
Aunties downunder are the best aunties to have 🙂
This is sad, sweet and so true.
Well Miranda definitely had her two kisses at bedtime tonight, ….great thoughts Chris and nice to proclaim them publicly
•Spend t i m e with your children, it will be the best investment you ever make
•Always tell the truth
•Eat the best food you can afford
•Do without anything you don’t actually n e e d (except cameras, and since the only thing you can take to your grave is memories – take lots of photographs)
•Ride your bike daily
•Always be prepared to forgive