My Favorite Gift...And It Didn't Cost Anything

     What is it? This was a Christmas Gift from my daughter a few years ago. It is a memory jar. It is something that I would grab on the way out of the door if the house was on fire. I actually made one for my parents a few years ago and a couple of years later, my daughter made one for me.

     You really only need a jar of some kind. It can be a decorative jar with a fancy bow, or a plain jar with a piece of ribbon around it. I promise you that the person you give it to will treasure the gift.

     All you need to do is spend a few days making a list of memories you share with the person/people you are giving it to. They can be good memories or even sad memories, the point is that they are special memories that will make the person who reads the note stop, smile and remember. Cut some small strips of paper (scrapbook paper is a good option, but computer paper works). Write a memory on each piece and fold it in half. Fill your jar. It is more difficult than you think, so allow a few days to really think about it. I went all the way back to my earliest memories with my parents, my daughter did the same...she just didn't have to remember as far back!

     The above note (I told my daughter what I was sharing) was in my jar. My daughter was very ill on a Disney vacation when she was 5. While our luggage was staying in an expensive Disney hotel...all four of us spent several days and nights at an Orlando hospital. I slept at the foot of my daughter's bed. She was fine, but it certainly is a memory for our family.

     My daughter is 25 and she moved to Orlando 2 1/2 years ago, to work for Disney. I guess the experience didn't ruin her opinion of WDW. She is a remarkable young woman and we have a very special relationship. In other words, I miss her like crazy...but, she is living her dream and that makes me very happy. On days when I'm really missing her, I just pull a little note from the jar and somehow she doesn't seem so far away.