Bucket list #14 Write at least 15 books by age 20

Kendra loved to write! I think she exceeded her bucket list for her books, she wrote a lot, just never published any. But that wasn't on her bucket list.  She had a series of books that she called the "Jamie Series". She had written so many of these.  Of course, as she got older, the books got longer, better and more serious situations for Jamie to get in.   One hilarious, short book was about Jamie getting a boyfriend.  The funniest part of this book was that she included Jack and Rose from "Titanic" 😂😂😂😂😂😂.  Jamie wanted Jack for her boyfriend but unfortunately, he loved Rose.  So she got a different boyfriend, but they broke up after 2 weeks because he wasn't Jack.

What I loved the most about her books is that Jamie always learned a valuable lesson.   These books are pretty amazing considering she probably started writing them when she was about 9 years old.   She would spend all summer indoors writing.   She was so excited when we got a computer and her stories went from handwritten to being typed in on the computer.  But I would have to force her to get outdoors and away from her working on her stories.  She would say no, I just got over my writers block and I'm too busy writing.  That's the kind of kid she was.

I would have loved to see her get her Jamie Series published.  They are funny, smart, caring and the young girls always come away with a lesson learned.   She had Jamie go to camp, get a job, go to Hawaii, have a big secret, have a sleep over, all kinds of adventures for Jamie and her friends.

Some items on her bucket list weren't just crazy or funny, but goals she set for herself at age 12.  Kendra was so talented and smart, I'm always so sad when I think think about all the potential she had, never to be fully realized.

I wish she had written a book about what Jamie would do if someone close to her died, how she would have handled it.  We never think it will happen to us, its always someone else and unfortunately, there is no book to tell us what to do.  I have come to learn that there is no right or wrong way to grieve.  I choose to write about Kendra and her bucket list and her life, and her life with us.  I love to remember her and look at pictures.  My husband still finds it hard to look at her pictures, so we all do it our own way.  We do rely on our faith and family and friends and for me, lots of crying.  Some days are harder than others, some days I just miss her so badly. So now that she's gone, I've taken up her pen (aka computer) and carrying on writing for her.  Wish she could give me some pointers!

12 year old Kendra