How I'd spend my final 24 hours of life. I pinned my list to my bulletin board.
A few weeks ago, I posed a question:
“If you had 24 hours to live, what would you do with your time?”
I invited you to make a list of what you'd do. And I invited you to post your list somewhere—on your blog, on social media if you want, or perhaps on a bulletin board at your workplace, school, or local library.
Over 130 people completed this project. Emails poured into my inbox from around the world. People shared photos of their #MyFinal24 lists pinned to walls and taped on doors and even trees. Every single list was touching, honest, and so incredibly beautiful.
Here's what a few people mentioned...
"For my last 24 hours, I would spend every second in the company of my loving wife of 38 years, doing all the tiny, tender little things I could to help her to be happy, celebrating how our love has enriched my time on earth..."
"I would forgive everyone even those who abused me as a child. I will be too busy spreading all of the love of my last day to be bogged down with that negativity..."
"Watch the sunset with a fire going, sing, eat a mango, say thank you, snuggle to sleep...."
"I would color, eat and drink excellent food and wine, be present, study my girl's faces, sing Elton John songs loudly..."
"I’d wear the one thing I never dared: a sequined tube top with sequined pants. And I would stash notes all over the house for my loved ones to find after I’m gone..."
"I'd have the most wild, ravenous, primal sex with my husband while listening to my most favorite band..."
"I would throw a huge party. We’d eat donuts together. And drink champagne. I’d laugh until I cried. I’d kiss everyone’s faces and tell them how much I adore them."
"I would finally tell him how I feel."
"Kiss, touch, and hug passionately. Be with my friends and family. Anything left nagging me, I'd clean up."
"Forgive everyone, everyone, everyone."
To everyone who participated in the #MyFinal24 project, thank you.
Words cannot express how much your lists impacted me. You made me laugh, cry (oh God, so much crying), think deeply, and re-evaluate my own list—and my own life. Thank you for sharing your ideas. Thank you for reminding me, in hundreds of different ways, what "life" is
really all about. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Just for fun, because whyyyyyy not, I selected a few #MyFinal24 participants to win some special prizes. (To all the winners listed below, congratulations! Please check your inbox for a personal message from me.)
Books
The following people won a hardcover copy of my new book, So This Is the End: A Love Story, plus a few other snail-mail treats...
* Gillian Addison
* Hayley Carr
* Kevin Wade
* Macey Snelson
* Michael Ellis
* PJ Hensler
* Peggy Hall
* Rob Neuberger
* Rocío García
Hawaii Retreat
* Lisa Van Ahn
Lisa, you won a spot at my Writing Retreat in Hawaii. June 17-24, 2019. 7 days. 7 nights. Your bedroom, all meals, all activities, everything is covered. Totally free. And I'll chip in some additional cash to help cover your
airfare, too. I hope you can make it. (Your #MyFinal24 message made me cry so hard. In the best possible way. Thanks for the emotions.)
. . .
Every day is a gift.
Tomorrow is never guaranteed.
This life, this moment, this is it.
At some point today, please set aside your various digital devices and burst outside and feel the damp air and bite a crisp apple and hold onto your kids and look at the moon and play your favorite song and forgive yourself and forgive everyone and live, live, live.
-Alex
PS. I made a biiiiiig music playlist the other day. About 5 hours of music. Mostly folk, country, mellow, soulful stuff. Here it is.
PPS. Here's an old playlist I made a zillion years ago. But I still love it. <3
PPPS. Whoa. You are so beautiful.