At the beginning of 2016 my twenty-eight year old niece began a new tradition. She decided to record her most treasured moments of the year on colored sticky notes, and collect them in a jar. Then, twelve months later, on New Year’s Eve, she opened them up and read all those precious memories. These are just some she recorded: 

Bought a car.

Indoor skydiving!

Graduated!

Started a new job with Community Neighbors.

Since we live 4000 miles apart, I don’t see my niece very often, but I could almost hear her laughing, and definitely see her smiling, as she opened up those little notes and re-lived those happy moments in her mind.

These are her words:

Since the beginning of 2016 I have been collecting my most treasured memories of the year. The picture shows only a sample of my many wonderful experiences! This collection has served to show me just how truly lucky I am despite difficult times during the first half of the year.

What a wonderful activity to begin with our little ones at the start of a new year! And it’s so very easy to do:

• Choose a jar, or several, if your children would each like their own.
• Together, decide what would be a good name for the jar, such as: Our Blessings /  Things We’re Thankful For /  Happy Moments of 2017 / My Happy Jar etc
• Label and decorate the outside.
• Be intentional throughout the year about recording happy moments, in writing or drawing.
• Open them up on New Year’s Eve, taking turns to read each one.
• Find a way to preserve those memories, in a scrapbook, or photo album.
• Begin a new jar each January so that a new family tradition is established.

The Bible exhorts us to cultivate thankfulness. I can’t think of a better way to do it.

Blessings,

Glenys