When Rebecca Townsend was a sophomore in high school, she was given a writing assignment to create a three-item list of goals to reach in her life. The list is commonly referred to as a bucket list. It’s anyone’s guess as to what the items were that commonly appeared on the list of her peers.
After all, the term sophomore has its etymology in a Greek phrase meaning “wise fool”. However, Rebecca’s list indicated she was one to value living. She wanted to travel to Spain, and enjoy a kiss in the rain. Lastly, she wanted to save the life of a human being which she nuanced as not being in a frightful context.
Three years later, the beautiful young woman had in fact shared a kiss with her boyfriend in the rain. Her family had also taken a vacation to Spain where she enjoyed the beauty of the Spanish countryside. Sadly, the unimaginable happened. Rebecca and Benjamin Arne, a friend of hers, were at the Western Connecticut State University to watch a fireworks display.
As they crossed the street, she saw a car coming straight at them and in a split second she knew there was only time to make one move. She chose hers: push Arne out of danger. It turns out both people were struck, but her brave action allowed her friend to survive and recover from serious wounds.
However, the action claimed her life. As her family grieved her loss, they came across her old bucket list lying on her bed. It helped bring them closure and has inspired others to reach out and express love while they still have the chance.
