Mission Complete

Every week, I join my parents before work at a local restaurant for coffee and breakfast.  We always meet at the same place and sit at the same table.  We have been doing this for years.

None of this is important except that one of my favorite things about being a regular at this restaurant is chatting with the other regulars.  They are lovely mostly older people who I wouldn’t have met in any other way.  It’s one of the little things that makes me love living in Salt Lake City.  It’s just a big little town.  And all the Coffee Drinkers (i.e. the Non-Mormons) start out with a lot more in common than coffee drinkers in other cities.

Anyway… This morning we got in a conversation with the recently retired couple at the next table and they were telling us a story about one of their grand-kids.

“I’m taking her to San Francisco this summer.”  This is the grandmother talking.  “She’s nine, and she’s never been on an plane before.  And this is her first time on the coast, not just San Francisco, so in addition to the city she’ll get to see the ocean.”

“Oh, that’s big,” I said.  “I remember the first time I saw the ocean.”

“Yes, it is!” She continued.  “You know what she told me the other day?  She said, ‘Grandma – thank you so much for taking me on this trip.  You are helping me complete my bucket list.’  Can you believe it?”

I laughed harder on the inside then I did on the outside at this.  I love this kid; the nine year-old who not only makes but checks off the last item on her bucket list before starting the fifth grade. How delightful!  I almost hope she doesn’t add anything else.  She can go through the rest of her life feeling the broad satisfaction of complete accomplishment.