Holiday Gift #9: Memory Journal

Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa semi-belatedly! And a fabulous New Years Eve to all! Yeah yeah, I wasn't able to squeeze in all ten gifts before the celebration of gift-giving officially ended, but in my eyes it's STILL the holidays and it's never to early to plan for next year!

And speaking of next year, here's a good idea: start a holiday journal! My mom started one a billion years ago (I kid, mom)...but really, it was before my time I think (thirty long long years ago). Anyway, each year she started with Thanksgiving and worked her way through the holidays, describing events, meals, Christmassy outings, gifts, etc.

But Katie, I'm like twenty years into my marriage, what's the point of keeping track now?

A holiday journal is a pretty snazzy thing to pass down from generation to generation, I say! Just think of the time capsule-esque capabilities! "Wow, look here, in Christmas of 1994, you got all sorts of Magic the Gathering stuff...where did all that end up?!" It's always fun to remember what kinds of gifts people asked for, what sorts of odd phases they were into over the years. It's also fun to look back and laugh about the things that went wrong! Like when the family hamster escaped into the crawl space and died, but no one noticed the smell until Christmas morning when dad forgot that he had hid mom's new blender in there.

But Katie, I don't want to stop at just a holiday journal! What more can I do?!

I'm glad you asked! This year my sister undertook QUITE the endeavor for one of her boyfriend's Christmas gifts. She kept a relationship journal all year long, documenting their dates and various day-to-day moments. They started dating in September of 2008, so the entirety of 2009 was the majority of their relationship. So basically a sort of Year One memory log. Indeed, as I said, quite the endeavor. But maybe kind of a fun idea for those of you who love to write. It doesn't even have to be an every day journal, but just important dates and memorable moments. Like when he surprised you with a love note on page 189 of the medical text book that put you guys in the poor house. Or when she decoupaged a nightstand with Hitchcock posters for your birthday. The receiver of this relationship journal will get to look back on all that fun stuff and ways in which he or she really made you happy. On the other hand, you could also use the journal to discuss times when perhaps you got into an argument over where to keep the paper towel roll, but you solved the issue in a loving and appropriate manner. When you write about problems, it provides a constructive place to hash them out and often gives you more incentive to solve them too. Obviously you may not want to bash your wife on paper and then give it to her on an anniversary, but if you're constructive and positive and discuss how you solved the issue in the aforementioned loving and appropriate manner, it'll be a great tool to use for the future. Orrrrr maybe it'll just rip open old wounds, I don't know, I'm not a psychologist. Just write some stuff down, be funny, be cool, be generous with your kind words, and be grateful for the great moments you share.