Before I die I want to…
We’ve all had Aha moments; flashes of complete clarity that bring into focus what’s truly important in life. They tend to come after a traumatic experience- the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or a natural disaster. Unfortunately, they’re usually brief (I guess that’s why they’re called moments), smothered by the annoyances of daily life.
That’s why the story of Candy Chang is so remarkable. Not only did she maintain her clarity, she set out to help others do the same.
Chang is an artist who came to a deeper understanding of life after the death of a good friend. In her state of grief, this is what she realized:
Two of the most valuable things we have are time and our relationships with others. In our age of increasing distractions it’s more important than ever to find ways to maintain perspective and remember that life is brief and tender. Thinking about death clarifies your life.
Photo credit: Candy Chang
So began her Before I Die experiment. She and some friends transformed the side of an abandoned house in their New Orleans neighborhood into a giant chalkboard. They stenciled it with a grid of the sentence “Before I die I want to _______.” They left a basket of chalk and anyone passing by could pick a piece up and share their dreams with the world.
She was shocked to find the board filled to the brim by the end of the next day. The responses provided comfort to Change and the board transformed a decaying space into a place of hope, connection, and understanding in a mere 24 hours.
Photo credit: Candy Chang
This little experiment has grown into a beautiful movement. Over 100 walls have been created in 10 languages and in 25 countries, each a unique reflection of the people and their communities.
To keep the momentum, Chang and her colleagues created a toolkit and website to assist anyone interested in making a wall in their community. They provide free downloads and encourage people to play with their own versions of the original idea!
So, just for today, let’s transform our little space into a virtual chalkboard! I’ll get us started-
Before I die I want to kiss Joe L. in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
Before I die I want to own a coffeehouse.
Before I die I want to make my own perfume.
Before I die I want to be a Grandma.
Now it’s your turn- copy the Before I Die sentence in the comments section and tell me what you’d like to do before you die. I can’t wait to hear about your dreams!
Love,
Becky
Before I die I want to _______. Before I die I want to _______.
Before I die I want to _______. Before I die I want to _______.
Before I die I want to _______. Before I die I want to _______.
Before I die I want to _______. Before I die I want to _______.
Before I die I want to _______. Before I die I want to _______.
Before I die I want to _______. Before I die I want to _______.
Posted on January 17, 2013, in Health & Wellness and tagged Before I Die, Candy Chang, connection, Death, Grief Loss and Bereavement, hope, New Orleans. Bookmark the permalink. 16 Comments.
so many things…swim with dolphins, go to ireland, change a life, go camping, live in my own home near the ocean. XOXOX Becky!
I would love to live by the beach as well. I hope all your dreams come true, Mary Mac!
Love,
Becky
Thank you Becky for this thought provoking post! Before I die I want to fall hopelessly and madly in love. Fee
You’re welcome, Fee! Mad love is sure to find you!
Love,
Becky
Before I die I want to be more like my mother! And to have one vacation where money is absolutely no object
I love yours, Tavia! The older I get, the more like my mom I wish to be.
Thank you for sharing!
Love,
Becky
Fee – I agree with you. I want to fall hopelessly and madly in love. If there is such a thing as a soul mate I would love to find him!!
He’s out there.. I just know it. Let’s just believe
Fee
I want to be mentally and physically able to see my Grandchildren finish college, be independent and or marry. I have bee fortunate to have traveled and done so many things that I wanted to do and see while I was young enough to do them.
Now you just have to go on one long road trip with me and the kids and break in that National Park pass!
I hope to see your grandkids graduate as well.
Love you, mama!
What a great post Becky… so many things.. Before I die, I want to take a year off from my regular life; whether I am working or retired, and do missionary work in a third world country where I could make a difference in the lives of women and children. I would like Andy to join me, but it is not a prerequisite. Having lived apart for 3 years, I know I could do at least another 1 year away from him, and doing something really good. I would also like to travel to Europe, I would like to be in France when the Tour de France is there.. and be at one of the finish lines in the Alps. On that trip, I would also like to go to Italy, and Spain. I would like to go to Ireland, while my very remote cousins in County Mayo are still alive. I would like to see both of my children graduate from college.. Nate is close!! I want to be a grandma, and I would like my own mother to meet my grandchild, but she is 95 so I do not know if this will happen. Thank goodness she has already welcomed many many grandchildren, and great children into this life. Before I die, I want to be able to retire soon enough to live full time at the beach, to kayak around in the marshes of Seabrook island, take my grandkids to the crabbing dock to find crabs, run with my dog on the beach in every season– at dawn and at dusk. As I write,my heart swells with gratitude that we live in a world where we can still dream big. Thank you for being a great dream catalyst today.
Thanks for sharing your dreams. They are vivid and lovely!
Love to you, Kim!
Kim what a wonderful post and your dreams are wonderful and lovely and I hope you get to do most of them. My bucket list is simple, don’t laugh but before I die I want to parachute out of a plane like George Bush, it looks fantastic. Also would like to see my grandchildren graduate from college.
Hey Mom… I forgot to tell you when we were talking… that we ride the train with someone whose husband runs a skydiving school. Another friend’s Mom jumped last summer. She was 87
. I will go with you !!!!
Becky what wonderful food for thought! I have many “bucket” lists that I’ve created over the years. Some I have crossed off and others are “yets.”. Of those yets are:
Join a missionary cause in a third world country
Visit the Christ tower in Rio
Skydive…multiple jumps
Compete in the Miss Fitness pageant
Publish a novel
Visit Australia, Greece, Europe & Fiji Islands
Go on a Meditteranean cruise
Renew our wedding vows on our 25th in the Caribbean where we honeymooned in 1995
Have grandchildren
Live abroad for at least 6 months
That’s just a beginning…hope I have many years of living left to cross them ALL off!
Thanks, Vanessa! I love your list because it’s multi-faceted and feels very real. I hope all your dreams come true!
Love,
Becky