Feel-Good Stories to Read Online: Chuck It In The F**k It Bucket (Inspirational and Motivational Short Story)
In this inspirational and motivational short story, Belinda decides it’s finally time to throw caution to the wind and tackle her Bucket List. Will she finally find what she’s been missing all these years?
Chuck It In The F**k It Bucket (Inspirational and Motivational Short Story)
Belinda stood in front of her mirror, a vibrant post-it note in hand. It was a bright yellow square that screamed “freedom” in the quiet of her bedroom. At fifty, she looked at her reflection, not with resignation, but with a spark of something new. Excitement? Anticipation? Maybe both.
“Eff this, I’m doing it,” she declared to her reflection, slapping the post-it onto the glass. It was the start of her “F**k It Bucket List.” Everything Belinda had ever been excited about but too scared to try, she was now going to do. She wanted to prove to herself that she deserved the best of everything life had to offer.
Item number one: Skydive.
The thought alone would have sent old Belinda into a tailspin of anxiety. But this Belinda? She was ready to fly. Belinda was ready to throw caution to the wind and do all the things she’d only dreamed of. Even if everything on her list was scary.
“Mom, are you sure about this?” her eldest daughter, Hannah, asked over coffee one morning. The disbelief in her voice was palpable.
Belinda smiled, sipping her latte. “More sure than I’ve ever been. I’ve spent my life making sure you all had what you needed. Now, it’s my turn.”
Hannah looked at her mother, seeing the determination in her eyes. “Then, I’m coming with you. Let’s jump out of a plane together.”
And so, they did. The skydive was more than an adrenaline rush; it was a symbol of Belinda’s rebirth. She was free, soaring above the clouds, with her daughter by her side.
As the year unfolded, Belinda’s adventures took her from the heights of the sky to the depths of the ocean. She learned to scuba dive, took salsa lessons, and even went on a solo trip to Paris. Her friends, initially shocked, began to join in, each adventure bringing them closer together. Laughter filled Belinda’s life, a sound she realized she hadn’t heard enough of in the past.
“Belinda, you’re an inspiration,” her friend Joanne said one night as they sat around a campfire, roasting marshmallows. “You’ve shown us it’s never too late to live.”
Belinda smiled, the warmth of the fire reflecting in her eyes. “It’s not just about living, Joanne. It’s about living fearlessly, with love.”
The year’s end approached faster than Belinda expected. As she crossed off the last item on her list—host a New Year’s Eve party for friends and family—she looked around at the faces surrounding her. Her children, her friends, all laughing and sharing stories of the year’s adventures.
Her son, Greg, raised his glass. “To Mom, who showed us that age is just a number and that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.”
The room erupted in cheers, and Belinda felt her heart swell. This wasn’t just her victory; it was theirs too. Her adventures had brought them all closer, creating bonds stronger than ever before.
As the party wound down, Hannah hugged her. “Mom, this year has been amazing. What’s next?”
Listen to Jack and Kitty’s Feel-Good Stories Podcast
Subscribe on your favorite podcast app or visit: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Audible, Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Castbox, Pocket Casts, and Radio Public.
Belinda grinned, a twinkle in her eye. “Next year, we do it all over again. But this time, we all add to the list. It’s not just my journey anymore; it’s our adventure.”
And so, Belinda’s “F**K It Bucket List” became a tradition, a yearly quest for adventure and connection. It wasn’t about defying age or expectations but about living life with joy, courage, and an open heart. Belinda had set out to find herself, but in the process, she found so much more—a deeper bond with her children, the true friendship, and the sheer joy of living life on her own terms.
Through laughter, tears, and countless adventures, Belinda and her loved ones discovered that the best parts of life come when you stop worrying about what others think and start living for the joy of the moment. And that, perhaps, is the most beautiful adventure of all.
Written by Kitty Norton. © 2024 Jack and Kitty Norton. Reprinted by permission of Jack and Kitty Media Group. In order to protect the rights of the copyright holder, no portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent. All rights reserved.
