Rebecca Danigelis took great pride in her work. But then she was abruptly fired. It left her deeply depressed, not wanting to get out of bed. That is, until 76-year-old’s devoted son decided to use the sudden job loss as an opportunity to fulfill his mother’s bucket list!
Rebecca immigrated to the U.S. from England in the 1960s. She made her living in the housekeeping industry, allowing her to make a living and raise her two sons. Working became an important part of Rebecca’s identity.
So, when the 76-year-old suddenly lost her job, it was devastating.
"There were days after this first happened that I didn't want to wake up," Rebecca said. "I didn't want to face the reality that I wasn't going to wake up and go to work."
Finding A Way To Help
Still reeling from the shock, Rebecca called her youngest son, Sian-Pierre Regis, who was overseas at the time.
"I just got fired. Just want you to know that. Call me. Bye," she said in a voicemail.
Sian-Pierre, who loves his mom dearly, says he’ll never forget the moment he received that brief message.
"It was one of those life moments where I was fully faced with my mom's mortality, and I thought things could get really bad," the 33-year-old journalist and filmmaker says. "Everything she worked for and everything she knew was taken away from her and she had no safety net. I knew at 75, she had little chance of getting a new job, and it was going to be an uphill battle."
So, he decided to focus on what his mom had gained, rather than what she’d lost. No job meant more free time — time to help fulfill his mother’s bucket list!
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Several months before her termination, Sian-Pierre tried taking Rebecca on monthly trips to check items off of his mother’s bucket list. But the hardworking woman easily logged 15-hour work days. And the rigorous schedule rarely allowed for the trips.
Now, without a job, Rebecca had the time. And Sian-Pierre realized these outings were a fantastic way to pull her out of her slump.
Mother’s Bucket List Leads To Adventures Of A Lifetime
A year later, the mother and son have had some amazing adventures. And it’s quite a change from the life Rebecca used to know.
“My new life motto is ‘Rebecca, it’s all about you now.’ It’s always been about everybody else,” she says.
From milking cows in Vermont, walking the route of the Boston Marathon, and co-piloting a plane, Rebecca has a new lease on life. She’s even taken hip-hop dance classes with Sian-Pierre!
"I feel like a kid again, he brought me back to life," she said. "I'm living again. I feel younger and, actually, I look younger, too!"
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And just like the youngsters these days, Rebecca is documenting her amazing journey on social media. Her Instagram account, @Rebrexit, has nearly 50,000 followers!
Sian-Pierre has been filming their adventures as well, and plans to turn it into a documentary called Duty Free. Some items on his mother’s bucket list still to be tackled include sky diving in Hawaii and having Rebecca write her own eulogy.
WATCH: Devoted Son Turns Mother’s Bucket List Into A Documentary
Duty Free Film (With Subtitles) from Duty Free on Vimeo.
In the midst of all the fun, Rebecca is still looking for a job. But in the meantime, she’s having a blast making some pretty incredible memories with her son. What an amazing bond these two share!
h/t: People
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