Quick, from last Christmas, name every gift that you remember receiving!
What about your birthday?
What about any gifts that you received as a child on either occasion?
Isn’t it amazing the time and money we pour into purchasing gifts for those we love, only to, probably, have them forgotten by the following year.
Here is a fact that might surprise you. I remember every single gift from every single birthday that my Aunt Helen gave me way into adulthood. Both my husband and our kids remember the gifts she gave them as well. As a matter of fact, we still talk longingly and lovingly of the gifts she delivered to our house at birthday time. We anticipated the arrival of said gift.
What is that never to be forgotten gift?
A plate of the best Snickerdoodles ever. Every. Single. Year.
Although we did, usually, grudgingly, share them, they were OUR cookies. Baked specifically for our special day.
What I failed to realize at the time was that she wasn’t just giving cookies. She was giving a tradition that turned into a memory in the form of a plate of cookies. She was providing love in an edible form.
At some point, I realized that the traditions and memories were so much more important than the actual gifts.
Looking back on my own memories and traditions, I realized that the events that I remember the most are ones that were repeated yearly.
Thanksgiving. Eating AT NOON.
Playing Pit as a family after eating the Thanksgiving meal.
Going to my Nanny’s on Christmas Eve to open gifts.
Do I remember even one gift that I received at Nanny’s? No. But I do remember going.
Do you want to create great memories?
Focus on the traditions. Be intentional about creating good experiences that lead to great traditions. That is what will make the memories.
Read a Christmas story before you open gifts.
Take a family photo first thing Christmas morning.
Visit the nursing home and spend time with the residents.
All little things. But the little things, as always, add up to the big memories.
And when the gift wrap has been cleaned up and thrown away and the gift forgotten, the memories will remain.
Like this post? You might want to check out How to Simplify Gift Giving
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This post is so true. Having dealt with the death of two family members recently I have learned that it’s the intangibles, such as cookies and hand painted sweatshirts and unexpected dinners provided on work nights, that leave behind pieces of ourselves and provide heartwarming memories long after we are gone.
If we had only learned that lesson sooner! Thanks for commenting.
I absolutely love this! I might have laughed out loud at the “eating at noon” part!
But we never have to wonder when the Thanksgiving meal will be served, do we? 🙂 60 plus years and counting!
This is my favorite post to date!
Thanks so much!
You are absolutely correct. I made a comment to Don just tonight that I’ve been surprised by some of the things our kids remember fondly.
Our daughter didn’t have many Christmas decorations last year (her first year in their first home). While I was getting out my decorations I was taking pictures of surplus & sending to her and asking if she was interested in having any of them. There was a cloth advent calendar that I purchased from Avon over 30 years ago that had a scene with Mr. & Mrs. Claus on it and pockets numbered one through 24 and a mouse that you moved each day to countdown to Christmas (if you watch closely enough the same one is on the wall in a scene in the movie National Lsmpoon’s Christmas Vacation). When I offered it to her (I had 3 different Advent calendars) you would have thought that I had offered her $100. She told me she loved that calendar and always looked forward to moving the mouse. I gave it to her last year & she used it. Coincidently over Thanksgiving this year our son told me that he would like to have that cloth advent calendar. He remembers it from his childhood & also remembered looking forward to moving the mouse. I had to tell him that I gave it to his sister. He said he was going to look for it in an antique shop. I told him that I didn’t think it would be the same because it wouldn’t be our calendar.
Thanks for sharing. We try so hard to give great gifts when in reality, the memories are the most important. Good to know you can find it on e-bay!
P.S. I found the calendar on eBay ranging from $39.99 (without the mouse) to $133 (with 52 bids). Reminder to self to check eBay before giving stuff away. Also a good indicator that others are trying to buy back a memory.
Oh my goodness…the tears! Made me cry!!
Good tears, I hope! Our memories really are so precious!
Excellent post. Your Aunt Helen also made those fantastic blankets that she crocheted. We use it every night in the winter. And I’ve never ever had a better snicker doodle
The crocheted blankets were wonderful. Never have been able to duplicate the cookies.
Thanks for commenting!
Great great post! As I’ve grown up I’ve realized those are the most important things, I can’t wait to start some amazing traditions with my growing family !
I’m so happy to hear that. The sooner you become intentional about creating memories, the more memories you will accumulate!
Family get-to-gathers but I remember the Christmas we had to put a kitchen together before morning. 5:00 I went to bed but someone stayed up and put it together. No sooner had he went to bed when our kids got up. WOW! good blog Mic