If your parents are at the point in life where they don’t need any more “things” for Christmas or you just want to give them a meaningful gift — create a one-of-a-kind “Fond Family Memories” jar.”
Get a mason jar for $1 at a craft store, find a canister or tin at a thrift store (like the Hugs & Kisses jar above), or repurpose a container you already have.
Make a sign for the jar, punch a hole in it, and attach it with a jaunty ribbon or cord.
Next, contact your siblings or other relatives and compile a list of memorable experiences each person had with family members. Think of vacations, school, outside activities, traditions, individual quirks, milestones, pets, birthdays and holidays, family jokes, special events and more.
Write or type a sentence describing each of the memories on a piece of paper and cut it into individual slips, then insert them in the jar.
Close the lid, wrap the gift, and you’re ready for Christmas!
My sister and I made this gift for our parents about five years ago, and it was fun to compile the list and reminisce about various experiences. We both remembered different events from our childhood — and we came up with at least 50 heartwarming memories.
To maximize the experience, our parents took several years to read the items one at a time (they’re not ones to rush into things!). They really liked it, though — and after they’d finally read everything, they asked us how we remembered all that stuff!
I hope it made them realize how they’ve shaped and inspired us, and what great memories we have of them.
Related blog posts:
Valuable Life Lessons My Parents Taught Me
Create a Happiness Jar — And Enrich Your Life in Less Than a Minute a Day
Three Good Things — A New Twist on a Gratitude Journal
Victory Log — List Today’s Accomplishments, Gain Satisfaction
Ten Reasons to Keep a Sentence-a-Day Five Year Journal
Feel-Good Way to Start 2015: List 200 Accomplishments
December Daily — a Fun Way to Document the Holidays
You Can Make Someone You Love the Best Gift Ever — at No Cost
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