Thanks for the Memories
Years ago I kept a Memory Jar while working though self help programs in The Artist's Way, a book by Julia Cameron. I selected a huge Ball Perfect Mason quart jar for the project. Best of all, it was BLUE, the old fashioned colored glass kind. The jar had been my Grandfather's on my mother's side! He loved to make Schmierkase (cottage cheese). My mother claimed she could never eat cottage cheese after helping her father make it! Surprise! My grandfather drew pictures of farm animals, horses, pigs, cows, chickens. He believed in the power of Angels.
I feel a connection.
Recently a photo of a memory jar came into my Facebook friend page. I pricked up my ears! I read with interest about adding one positive message to the jar each day for a year. The next New Year's Day, empty the jar and read your entries!
I remembered the jar, but didn't act on it until a Facebook Friend wrote in that she and her husband were keeping a memory jar and will read it together.
I can do this!
But where is my jar? I knew where it "was" but, after organizing items, where is it "now?"
I mentioned the blue jar to my husband. "Oh, here is is!" He quickly reached up way over my head and carefully lifted down our two large blue remaining ancient jars from the kitchen cupboard.
Years ago for my first jar, I added bright color. I got some neon colored note cards and cut them into strips like bookmarks. I added song titles, quotations, and bits of poetry to the colored strips for the jar along with personal goals and feelings. When I (often) needed a bookmark, I used these happy phrases. Lately I have enjoyed coming across some of these messages still snuggled into my book friends waiting to be rediscovered:
* "Healin' is the colors of the sunshine and the shadows of your eyes," Willie Nelson lyrics
Notice he sang, "Colors" of the sunshine! (jar entry 1997)
The most prophetic note, coming true in the Now:
"Help me to use my artist's gift to share love and joy!" (jar entry 1994)
Resources:
Sting, song and lyrics, Message In a Bottle
Good Times Jar Project, message on Facebook
Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way, Vein of Gold and many more resources. Awaken your creative inner child.
* Willie Nelson song and lyrics, Lovin' You is Easier than Anything I'll Ever Do Again.
dahlis.roy@gmail.com request free PDF Text and illustrated E-book, Silver Butterfly, Create A Vision, Awaken Your Creative Spirit.
Photo:
Memory Jar by Dahlis Roy I washed the jars and added new metal lids. The jar I chose for the project has a glass insert as part of the lid instead of the thin metal type used for canning today.
