CarrieDaway

I saw this really cute memory jar idea on Pinterest.  You write down a good memory and put it in the jar to remember throughout the year.  I tweaked it a bit and made happiness jars for the girls at MEP.  As teenagers they need some prodding to remember life doesn’t suck.  Every week they write down something that made them happy and put it in the jar.  At the end of the season we’ll go through and remember the good times.  I’m happy to say it’s been a success.  The girls are responding well, they seem to appreciate the continuity and most satisfying is that it’s enabled me to bond with the Wednesday girls.  

Sometimes, teenagers aren’t the only ones who need to be reminded of good things.

I’ve been stressed and a little blue lately, so a happiness jar is good for me too.  Today I had my happy highlight of the week.  My co-worker is pregnant with baby no. 2 and when she was pregnant the first time I strongly encouraged her to let me take weekly pictures with her holding a piece of fruit that was the size of her baby.  She hated it.  Not in a mean way but she felt fat and didn’t want her picture taken.  Nevertheless, I was insistent, she had a lot of stuff going on and I didn’t want to see that overshadow her special baby time. 

Flash forward to today when she asked for those fruit pictures and was upset that she lost them.  Now she thinks she looks like a tiny lady in those pics (which is was) and frets she’s too big now (which she definitely is not).  She lightheartedly scolded me for not having her press down her shirt more or stand to her side for a better view.  I reminded her I had fight like the Dickens to get her to stand for the picture at all and often had to bribe her with a photo buddy!  It was a good conversation and it makes me so happy that she likes the pictures.  I proud that my plan worked and I was able to capture special memories for her.