Making the Most of the Time We Have: A Reflection on Dreams, Reasons, and the Bucket List

​There comes a time in life when we begin to measure our time more carefully. We take stock of the years behind us, thinking not only of what we’ve done but also of what we still want to do. As someone who considers himself well-traveled—I’ve been fortunate enough to see Australia, Asia, and Africa, ridden elephants in Thailand, and even walked the Great Wall of China—I know I’ve lived a rich life. Yet, as I sit here at 75, I’m acutely aware that my chances for more adventures are fewer, and each one carries more weight. My body doesn’t have the same stamina it once did, and the window for physically challenging trips is closing.

Recently, my son-in-law shared a dream of his own: to venture up to Northern Canada. I, of course, encouraged him, saying, “What’s stopping you?” He gave me a list—work obligations, finances, family commitments. Valid reasons, certainly. But I brushed them off, saying, “Stop making excuses, you only have so much time.” Then he said something that truly resonated with me: “They are not excuses; they are reasons.”

This simple distinction between excuses and reasons has stayed with me. When we’re young, dreams are just a matter of time and persistence. As we age, dreams become tempered by reality. There are responsibilities we take on that ground us—financial commitments, family, health. These “reasons” aren’t barriers but rather natural parts of life. They are reminders that, while we may not be able to do it all, we still have agency over what we choose to do with the time and means available to us.

This brings me to the idea of a bucket list. Society paints it as an inventory of fantastic goals, things to check off before we’re gone. But there’s another way to look at it. Instead of just asking what we want to do, we should also ask, “What’s truly meaningful to me?” It’s easy to get swept up in big dreams, like trekking through a desert or taking a helicopter ride over glaciers, but sometimes it’s the smaller, more personal experiences that carry the most value.

For those of us in our later years, it’s important to ask ourselves, “What truly matters now?” Maybe it’s the trip we never got to take, but perhaps it’s also the relationships we want to deepen, the memories we want to make with family, or even the peaceful routines that bring us joy.

So, how do we make the most of our limited time? By choosing consciously. Not every dream can fit into our lives, and that’s okay. But let’s strive to do what we can with what we have, embracing the reasons that ground us while also being mindful not to let them hold us back from all that is still within our reach. Each day is a gift, and though the time may be finite, our potential to live meaningfully is endless.

#LivingIntentionally
#BucketList
#AgingGracefully
#TimeIsPrecious
#MakingMemories
#FromPromiseToPeril
​#TracksOfOurTears