Widow found husband's teen bucket list 2 years after he passed — she checks one item off every birthday
'Very much not looking forward to #12,' Leslie said.
A few lucky people are given precious reminders by their departed loved ones while dealing with their grief.
Leslie Harter-Berg (@leslieharterberg), a widow and lifestyle creator, shared a video on her Instagram account on March 14, which has 1.2 million views so far, showing a treasure she and her children had found that belonged to her late husband, Ryan. She captioned the video, "Friggin husbands leaving behind treasures!" Leslie and Ryan were married for six years before he passed away in 2019.
In the video, Leslie posted a photo of Ryan's handwritten "bucket list" she found two years after he passed away.
The "List of things to do before death" contained 34 items. To honor his memory, Leslie and her children decided they would check off an item every year on his birthday. She shared snapshots of the items they have completed: taking her kids out in public dressed as pirates, playing chess in a park, building a 3-foot-tall tower made of cards, taking piano lessons, and visiting an art museum.
Besides the items they completed, Ryan had some interesting and funny ones as well. The first being "Make a list of things before I die," which he checked. Another item that he checked was "go jetskiing." A few other items on the bucket list include going surfing, snowmobiling, running a marathon, and inventing something. He also wanted to buy a nice computer, a comfy couch, and so much more.
Ryan may have forgotten about the bucket list because some of the things he had achieved were not checked, which include "get married" and "have kids." Leslie also shared one of the goals that scared her the most, "Very much not looking forward to #12," she wrote, which is to "bungee jump."
Leslie did not share how many goals Ryan himself has crossed off his bucket list, but it's clear he completed a few of them despite his short life. A recent survey of 2000 Americans revealed that "the average American has 11 items on their bucket list they hope to cross off by age 47."
23% of the respondents said that they would be motivated to cross items from their list if they had more free time. On the other hand, 22% of the participants said that they would be inclined to check things off if they had more money. Ryan's list is a mix of serious life goals, adventurous experiences, and materialistic needs.
There are 119K likes and 182 comments. The comment section is flooded with people who are touched by the goals on Ryan's list. People are also inspired by Leslie's strength and journey towards healing. @mourning_morning_program wrote, "This is so heart-warming. Thanks for motivating me to live every day, honoring lost loved ones and sharing love with those around me so maybe they’ll love me this much when I’m gone. Bravo to you and your family for setting the tone and pace for love."
@lainymads noted, "'Live a righteous life; learn to spell.' He seems like he was so funny, I’ll bet he had the best dad jokes!!" @suttonloughran commented, "This is the sweetest and most heartbreaking thing I’ve seen in a while, sending lots of love."
You can follow Leslie Harter-Berg (@leslieharterberg) for more lifestyle and mental health-related content.
More on Scoop Upworthy
One Post-it note from her husband helped woman navigate life after he was gone
Young widow shows happiness after loss is possible in heartwarming video celebrating her new love
Share on Facebook
