Many people have a bucket list – that list of things that you want to accomplish before you pass away. Shirley Batchelder of Franklin, Tennessee had a bucket list, but there was one item left undone. Married for 57 years, she fondly describes her late husband,
“He was dark, curly hair, handsome as can be.”
She has lived a full life – but for the completion of the last item on her bucket list.
Batchelder keeps herself busy at the Manor at Steeplechase senior living facility that she calls home. She is in charge at game time, leading the other residents as they enjoy games like Concentration and Bingo. The prizes aren’t valuable, but the competition is stiff as seniors vie for the package of coveted Molasses cookies.
She recently had the opportunity to meet her heroes Pat Sajak and Vanna White from the TV Game Show Wheel of Fortune. Of the meeting, she stated simply,
“Pat and Vanna, they were nice. It was fun.”
When Batchelder was born in 1921 TV was pretty much a newborn too. As technology advanced, so did Batchelder’s love of TV.
Her dream – that last item on her bucket list – was to design a short TV advertisement. Although the standard ad is 30 seconds, Batchelder said she only needed five seconds to deliver her message.
She was recently interviewed by Terry Bulger with WSMV-TV out of Nashville, TN. She got to complete that last item on her bucket list.
Batchelder said that it would be up to people what they do with her message. Watch her story:
Her simple message?
“Love one another,” she said. “Love one another.”
How much better would the world be if we all just followed that simple bit of advice? Thank you, Shirley Batchelder, for your message of hope for a better world.
