Remember When...?

Have you ever been at a movie, and swore to yourself that you'd remember some hilarious line from the script?  Our family does that all the time, but we don't always remember it like we think we will.

I keep a great calendar book with lots of scheduling details, but unless we think to go back looking for something specific, it's used mostly for the daily stuff -- and not to remind us of anything special.

While some things will live in my memory always, the daily details sometimes get forgotten -- no matter how "big" I think they are at the time.

One day recently when my daughter and I were driving around town together, she said, "2013 was a good year, and I think 2014 will be even better!"  I asked her why 2013 was a good year for her.  She mentioned that she finished her first year of public school successfully in 2013.  She also began her second year -- and it was a much better start than the first year -- making her think that the finish line for the second year would be even more successful.

"Was 2013 a good year for you Mama?"  she asked.

Yes.  Sure.  Of course.

But when I thought of the successes, I had really been thinking of hers.  And in reality, her successes are HERS, not mine.  My successes?  Hmmmm, let me think.  It made me realize how much we get caught up in the daily dailies, forgetting all the little success stories, or random acts of kindness and generosity, or amazing family times, or unique experiences that we have had throughout the year.

Soon after our discussion, I happened across THIS IDEA, which I thought was brilliant.  The concept is simple.  At the start of a new year, begin writing down good things that happen to you -- throughout the year!

• goals reached
• gifts received
• hysterical happenings
• beauty of nature
• little daily blessings
• big moments
• family gatherings or trips
• "firsts"
• milestones

The idea is that at the end of the year -- on New Year's Eve -- you open the jar and read all of the amazing things that you experienced throughout the past year.

Great idea, right?  Best laid plans, you know?  I'm already way behind -- but here's what I decided to do...

I took one of my favorite jars -- which happens to have a patriotic theme [an eagle on one side].  As I was carrying it upstairs, I passed the pantry shelves and some cute red, white & blue mini muffin liners that I got for super cheap, but hadn't used yet....  See where this is going?  Apparently my memory jar is taking on a patriotic look!

Your jar can have a personal theme, or a family theme.  I like the idea of a family theme, as we usually share New Year's Eve with our own family of four -- and it would be a great activity for us.

It's only January 9, 2014 -- and not too late to start!  Hey, if you stumble upon this idea in JULY -- it's not too late then, either!

I started by jotting down how we had spent New Year's Eve '13 -- that our son wasn't working, and we were all at home together!  I wrote about the sub-zero temps too!  I've got a few more ideas to "catch up" on, and then I am off and running on my memory jar for 2014.

Great things are in store for 2014.

Don't count on remembering them.

Write them down!