An Invitation To 'The Good Old Days'
When you think of the phrase "the good old days," you probably conjure up an image of an elderly person reflecting on simpler times. Speaking with notes of nostalgia about a past period in their life that was better than the present tense.
Here's a friendly proposition, dear reader: screw that!
I feel like glorifying our ancient past, holding it on such a high pedestal, reduces the appeal of the life we're living right now. It not-so-subtly suggests that the best days of our lives our behind us. It minimizes the potential for our present tense to be every bit as awesome as those times we gaze back on with fondness and yearning.
So, here's what we're going to do. Let's embrace today as "the good old days!"
The Gratitude Jar
I came to this conclusion after cracking open my gratitude jar last night, New Year's Eve 2024. The original idea behind my gratitude jar was to, well, fill it with things I was grateful for. At the end of the year, I'd remove all those things and reflect on them as a way to better appreciate my life.
But as the year progressed, the gratitude jar evolved into a time capsule of memories. Every Sunday night, I'd write a short note about something awesome that happened during that week and toss it in. Something as monumental as my first backpacking trip, or something as minor as something my friend said that sent me into a laughing fit.
That epic 3+ hour phone call with my brother? Gratitude jar.
That time in January when my 94-year old grandmother visited my house for the first time, and laughed, and enjoyed the banana bread I had baked? Gratitude jar.
Finally finishing Super Mario 3D World and DOOM 2016? Gratitude jar.
That 22-mile bike ride along Rascal Creek with the gorgeous sunset? Gratitude jar.
The first time I made broccoli cheese soup in my new Dutch oven? Gratitude jar.
You get the idea.
I ended up putting 59 notes into my jar during 2024. Each one of those represents a memory I'll cherish (and maybe one I would have forgotten otherwise!), or something I'm grateful for. In essence, each note is a reminder that I'm living the good old days right now.
I encourage you to set one up for yourself. You'll be so excited when you reach the end of the year, and it's time to let those memories spill out and be remembered with fondness and happiness.
The Good Old Days: Photo Recap
All of this has inspired me to find a few notable photos from each month of 2024 and share a sentence or two about them. Sort of a "companion" to the gratitude jar. So, that's what I'll be writing for the next couple of weeks. 12 months, 12 posts. I'm looking forward to it!
If you end up doing your own gratitude jar in 2025, have fun with it! Make it your own. Make it a ritual. And remember to treat today like "the good old days."
Until next time,
~Jason
Jason Evangelho
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