Zumba with Sarah

Our goal is to keep this blog light hearted and to share uplifting stories about people completing items on their bucket lists.  We never anticipated we would encounter people willing to share their stories so candidly and openly.  We are thankful for their willingness to share their stories and are humbled by their bravery and trust in us to assist them (in whatever small way we can).  

With that being said, allow us to introduce you to our latest bucket lister, Sarah* (*Per her request, we have changed her name to protect her privacy). 

Sarah is unfortunately at the end of her rope. Sarah, like so many of us, always had a specific vision of what her life would be like. She always dreamt of being a wife and stay at home mom. Sarah has luckily realized this dream and is a very proud mother who adores her children.  What haunts Sarah everyday is the realization she feels trapped in a marriage where she is the victim of emotional abuse.  Now, we all know abuse comes in several forms and does not need to be physical.

For years, Sarah tried to ignore the abuse and suppress her feelings.  Until she began to see she was not the only victim.  She began to see her husband’s behavior being mimicked by her children.  It was in witnessing her children treating each other with the same disrespect that truly gave her the wake-up call she needed.

Now we’re sure many of you may be wondering, what this has to do with the Bucket List Crashers or what on earth could we possibly do to help in this situation. Needless to say, we do not claim to be therapists of any kind.  We have advised Sarah that she needs to make her emotional well-being, children and marriage her number one priority and seek the help appropriate for her situation.

As you can imagine, Sarah is terrified of taking that all-important first step to remove herself and her children from this situation.  Sarah would like to gain the confidence she will need to take that step, and the many trying steps that will follow.

This is where we come in! As a mother, her life and focus have always been about her children. Sarah wants to branch out and do something for herself.  She has never had the courage to try anything on her own.  Sarah has always wanted to teach a fitness class.  She is particularly fond of the Zumba fitness system and has asked us to help her get certified as a Zumba fitness instructor.  In comparison to the serious issues Sarah is facing in her life, some may think this goal seems quite trivial. However, Sarah hopes that achieving this goal, and crossing this item off of her bucket list, will prove to her that she does have the strength and courage to make big changes in her life.

We couldn’t agree more!  We are firm believers you never know where, when and how inspiration will strike. Our hope is that working towards this goal will help Sarah see there are so many possibilities out there for her and her children. She does not have to settle for a less than healthy living environment.  Achieving this goal will hopefully improve Sarah’s emotional well-being, her outlook on what’s possible and will help her to be the best mom she can be.  Because as we all know, a good mommy is a happy mommy.  WAY too many of us forget that!

We will provide updates on our progress as we move forward with the Bucket List “crash.”  So please stay tuned for more on Sarah’s story.  Obviously this story has more to it than just a Zumba certification.  Sarah has way more at stake!  So if you have any thoughts of encouragement you would like to share with Sarah or if you have any tips for us on how we can make her bucket list item a reality, please feel free to leave a comment or email us at bucketlistcrashers@gmail.com.