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Going on an exotic vacation. Seeing friends and family. Helping an elderly neighbor. Finishing a marathon. What do these things have in common? They are all things that fill people’s bucket. The term “bucket” is a figurative one in this context. The phrase ”filling my bucket” often refers making a person feel fulfilled or good about themselves. There are many different ways and things that fill our buckets, and nobody’s bucket is exactly the same. Everyone has different things that make them happy. Some things that fill our buckets can be part of our everyday routine; while others are once-in-a-lifetime type of things. Regardless of what type of thing or action it is, when it happens, it fills your heart with joy and boosts your esteem.
“Thanks so much for letting me come in today. It really filled my bucket,” I texted one of my best friends recently after visiting and speaking to the kindergarten class she teaches. It was really neat because she and I have been friends since elementary school, and, now, here I was talking to her kindergarten class. As I explained in a previous entry, if my circumstances had been just a little different, I would have been a teacher. I absolutely love kids and I love seeing them blossom and learn. It fills my heart with so much joy—it’s truly unexplainable. I’ve done presentations for kids of all ages over the years. Depending on the age, I talk about my life living life with a physical disability. For kindergarten, it’s basic disability awareness and exposure talking about everyone is different, explaining what cerebral palsy is, and answering questions. Admittedly, kindergarten is the funniest age to do because they have no filter and the questions that they ask are often hilarious. My favorite one is who’s my favorite Disney princess? On the other hand, my favorite age group to talk to is high school kids. I talk about what kinds of services you can get through IEPs and how to advocate for the accommodations you may need to succeed. I can share my story, but, more importantly, I encourage them not to give up. By sharing some of the struggles and barriers I’ve overcome, I try to motivate them not to give up when life gets hard. Regardless of the age, being able to go to classrooms and educate kids really fills my bucket.
As I wrote about in an entry a few years ago, another thing that fills my bucket is spending time with my little nephews. While I still have that yearning to be a mother and more than likely always will, I’m absolutely loving being Aunt Stacy. My nephews are three and almost six now and they’re so fun. They both can take rides on the back of my chair and they just think that’s so cool. Of course, they want it on the fastest speed which makes Auntie nervous, but it makes my heart melt every time they ask for a ride. Is it something that aunts normally do? Of course not, but it’s something special that I can do with them. They’re learning how to communicate with me and it’s really cool seeing how their minds are working. It fills my bucket knowing I’ll be a part of their lives as they grow up.
Like everyone else, hanging out with friends also fills my bucket. Due to life’s circumstances, I don’t have the opportunity to get together with friends very often. Most of my friends live in a different city, state, or even country than I do, so getting together doesn’t happen very often. Also, most of my closest friends have families and kids of their own, so, obviously and rightfully so, they’re busy with them. Knowing that, it fills my bucket even more when we do get together because it means so much to me that they want to take the time to spend time with me. Furthermore, I’m not oblivious to the fact that it takes some extra effort to have a friendship with me, and it really means a lot to me that so many people are willing to do that.
Call it aging, call it self-care, attribute it to the looming Medicaid cuts, call it whatever you want, but over the last year, I’ve been really trying to do simple things that fill my bucket. Things like taking a walk to the store and McDonald’s on a Thursday morning when it’s nice out or watching almost all of the basketball games during the March Madness tournament fill my bucket as well. These are just simple things can do to give myself a boost of joy.
Over the last few years, I’ve been a lot more intentional about the things that I get involved in. Part of it because my body can’t handle too much stress, but part of it is also because I know that my time of being able to do the things that really fill my bucket is limited. This may sound self-centered, but I want to have time to do things that fill my bucket while I can.
Of course, we all have obligations such as work, family things, and other things that we have to do, but everyone should take time to do things that fill their own buckets sometimes. In this day in age where everything often seems so hustled and bustled, we need to take the time to do whatever fills our own buckets. I want to challenge you to take some time out of every day to do something that fills your bucket. Remember, we only get one life to live—we have to take time to enjoy it!
***The views expressed here are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of InControl Wisconsin, the Network or any of our sponsors
The AARP article highlights five accessible U.S. cities—Washington, D.C., Bellevue, Chicago, Denver, and Tucson—that are ideal for travelers with mobility challenges due to their robust public transportation and walkable urban centers. These destinations offer a variety of barrier-free attractions, ranging from the flat, paved trails of the National Mall and the Chicago Riverwalk to adaptive kayaking in Bellevue and wheelchair-accessible shuttles in Denver. By prioritizing transit options like the Sun Link Streetcar in Tucson or the accessible Metrorail in D.C., these cities allow visitors to focus on cultural experiences—such as visiting museums and botanical gardens—rather than the logistics of car-free navigation.
The TIME article argues that proposed GOP healthcare cuts and the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" will exacerbate an invisible crisis by forcing more children into caregiving roles. Written by Lisa McCarty, who shares her own experience as a childhood caregiver, the piece highlights that an estimated 5.4 million youth in the U.S. already care for ill or disabled family members—a burden that leads to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and long-term mental health struggles. As Medicaid reductions threaten to strip coverage from millions, including those relying on Home Care Based Services, the author warns that the lack of formal support systems will leave even more children to perform unpaid, essential work that carries a heavy emotional and financial toll into adulthood.
NBC NEWS: RFK Jr. draws backlash for ripping Medicaid programs that pay people to care for relatives
By SD Network, 2026-04-24
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing intense backlash from disability rights advocates after testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee that Medicaid home-care programs are "rife with fraud." Kennedy specifically criticized programs that pay family members to care for elderly or disabled relatives, suggesting they are being compensated for tasks like grocery shopping or driving to appointments that should be done for free. Advocates and family caregivers have called these remarks "insulting" and "dismissive," arguing that the work often involves managing complex medical needs—such as ventilators and feeding tubes—and serves as a vital, cost-effective alternative to institutionalization. The controversy comes amid rising concerns over potential federal Medicaid cuts and a chronic shortage of professional home-care workers.
Self-direction is one of the most empowering programs in disability services — and one of the least talked about. Get Fired Up is a new podcast hosted by Cindy and Jamie from Community Horizons, a support broker agency in Wisconsin that helps people with disabilities hire and manage their own caregivers. New episodes drop every Friday.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION ON HEALTH AND DISABILTY: Participation Open to All: Disability Experience Study
By SD Network, 2026-04-21
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The U.S. Department of Justice has issued an interim final rule delaying the implementation of new ADA Title II web accessibility standards by at least one year. Originally finalized in 2024 to mandate technical standards for state and local government websites and apps, the compliance deadline for large entities has been moved to April 26, 2027, while smaller jurisdictions now have until April 26, 2028. The administration cited the need for local governments to better plan and budget for these updates following pressure from school districts and city leaders; however, disability advocates argue that this delay further excludes individuals with disabilities from essential online public services and information.
NATIONAL CORE INDICATORS: Care that Counts: Measuring the quality of paid family caregiving among home and community-based services users
By SD Network, 2026-04-17
A new study found that people whose primary caregiver is a paid family member or friend report significantly better outcomes than those supported by agency-employed staff — a finding with direct implications for self-direction programs. Compared to those with paid non-family staff as their main helper, those with a paid family caregiver were 2.3 times more likely to always get enough help with activities of daily living (ADLs), 1.5 times more likely to say their services and supports always meet their needs and goals, and 1.4 times more likely to participate in activities with others as much as they want. People with paid family caregivers also reported the lowest caregiver turnover rates — a key driver of poor outcomes. The report recommends expanding paid family caregiving options while continuing to invest in the broader direct care workforce.
The policy brief Recognizing Care as a Public Good by Demos argues that the United States must shift from viewing care as a private, individual burden to a shared public infrastructure to foster a more equitable economy. It highlights how the current system disproportionately harms women and people of color through low wages for care workers and staggering costs for families, rooted in a history of systemic racial and gender inequity. By investing public funds into early childhood education, disability support, and elder care, the brief posits that the nation can ensure high-quality care as a universal right, improve job standards for essential workers, and fulfill a vision of economic liberation and dignity for all citizens.
HEALTH AFFAIRS: Safeguarding Health For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: Absent Federal Leadership, Others Must Step Up
By SD Network, 2026-04-17
The article Safeguarding Health For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities argues that recent federal policy shifts have dismantled essential health infrastructure and funding for the 17 million Americans living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Because these individuals face higher risks of chronic conditions and preventable mortality, the authors call for a coalition of private-sector organizations, states, and clinical societies to step into the leadership void. This non-federal response must focus on providing trustworthy health guidelines, stewarding national data ethically, and promoting a social model of disability that prioritizes community integration and self-determination. Ultimately, the authors emphasize that people with IDD must play a central role in leading these efforts to ensure health equity and combat growing misinformation.