Hi Neighbor!
Happy New Year!
Several years ago I created a Family Happiness Jar after reading about the idea on a parenting blog. The very easy and simple idea behind a Happiness Jar, is to write down the happiest moment from your day, place it in the jar and read it on a future date when you are having a bad day or need to be reminded of the good times in life. I loved this idea, but I knew that as a mom of three children I/We wouldn’t have the time to do it every day, so I tweaked the idea to make it work for our family; we didn’t have to write down a moment every day, but rather whenever we had the time, we could write down any positive, happy, fun, or silly moments that brought us joy. At the end of the year, on New Year’s Eve, we would gather for dinner as a family and take turns reading all of the slips that were in the jar. I thought this would be a simple, fun, and easy way for us to end the year on a high note – together.
When we started doing this, everyone was all-in, and would write down things on a pretty consistent basis, year after year. Some were funny and corny but many included major accomplishments and triumphs that were always welcomed (especially during those difficult tween and teen years😊). Every NYE we would enjoy dinner together, open a bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling cider and then read all of our happy slips before settling in to watch the ball drop.
Fast forward to the present…and the after-dinner readings have moved to lunchtime, include coffee, sometimes a Face Time call, and most of the happy submissions come from me. This year while making breakfast on Thanksgiving morning, I glanced over at our jar and I realized there weren’t many slips of paper there, and the ones that were there, I knew were only from me. Feeling a bit let down by this turn of events, I strongly encouraged everyone to try to submit a happy slip (or two) while they were home for the holidays, so that we could remember all of the good moments of the past year, and stay connected to each other through this small family tradition.
When that didn’t work, instead of being upset or sad about it, I just decided that I would keep adding happy slips to the jar as long as everyone still wanted to gather and listen to them on the 31st. It turns out that even though they may not have the time to write something down for the jar, they always make time for me on NYE to read them. They told me they actually love hearing the things that I’ve written down – especially when I read the same happy events or accomplishments multiple times. For example, in 2022 I was apparently so happy to find out that one of my son’s favorite childhood memories was watching Family Feud with me, that I wrote it down not once but three times. By the end of 2023, apparently I was so happy that I “survived” another child’s move out of state, “survived” moving my youngest into college in-state, and that I greatly enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to do several puzzles with my oldest (😍), that I recorded those moments more than once as well 😊.
My forgetfulness has become the hit of our little NYE Happiness reading party, and I am more than okay with that! As long as I can bring all of us together to laugh, remember, and focus on the good parts of our lives instead of the negative, it doesn’t matter how I make that happen, just so long as it happens. There is nothing better (IMO) than starting and ending the year surrounded by those you love.
On that note, I will leave you with a quote that I came across recently that really resonated with me especially during the holiday season; and if my kids happen to be reading this, this one is especially for all of you😊!
Family faces are like magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future. – Gail Lumet Buckley
Neighbors, I am wishing you a HAPPY AND HEALTHY New Year that finds us all surrounded by love, happiness, and laughter.
Cheers to 2024,
Chris