Shedding that pandemic cocoon this year makes summer that much grander. We want out!
But didn’t we also learn through the pandemic, we want a slower pace of living? We want to feel less rushed and feel more joy.
I’ve got a summer joy challenge for you.
It requires something we all love; memories. How many pictures do you have on your phone? I’ve got 2,645. We like ourselves and our lives.
Here is the challenge, and I promise it will bring you JOY.
Think of the number 1. That’s easy.
This week think of one funny memory about your life. It can be anything. I just recalled a funny flip my father used to do on his bed. It was called “One for the money…”
Write it down. It only has to be one paragraph or one page. Reminiscing fond memories bring us joy.
Now…
Once a week during the summer write a one paragraph or one page anecdotal memory about a moment in your life. (See Appendix one: “The Flip” below to see how quick it is) Start this on a word doc. or text yourself while you sit by a pool or wait to pick up for summer camps.
When summer is done you will have gathered ten personal stories. Ten one paragraph or one page anecdotes of your personal life story.
Easy right?
You can go even crazier. Let me explain about the sharing part and how important this is. There is proven data that knowing family stories and connecting to strong family generational ties make you feel good. In fact it changes your brain to ignite the healing systems which help you feel joy and stay resilient. But it also has the power to protect children from making unwise decisions. (Check out the website www.protectyoungminds.org the authors of Good Pictures Bad Pictures.)
Recalling family memories connects us to our family heritage which gives us a feeling of connection bigger than ourselves. Human beings are wired for being a part of a group and feeling connected. That’s why we have families. My all time favorite title for this is the “THE SUPERSIZED WE” which comes from the book, The Spiritual Child by Dr. Lisa Miller, the director at Columbia University in clinical psychology, referring to the power of family.
Those who are grandparents, this is a very cool idea to compile as short bedtime stories small one page moments in your life that can be saved about you and read as a story to your grandchildren.
My dad wrote once wrote one about when his plane was on fire in the army. It’s only two paragraphs. My kids loved it.
You could compile them for your children for a Christmas present if you wanted. (Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.) You are recording memories that not only protect your children and grandchildren but wrap them up in love with little bits of your life story.
And certainly don’t keep to only the angelic parts. The spicy ones are the funnest…
We are just barely coming out of a Super-Sized WE together as a neighborhood, a community and a world. I believe there will be special moments of JOY when we recall back to this time in history. If you want tell about this, too.
I hope you can do a bit of reminiscing this summer. Or grab Grandma or Uncle Pete and ask him to do some reminiscing. Summer is the best time to gather stories. It’s a great time to start writing about your unbelievable life…only ten.
“Humph, that’s easy!”
Joy is the goal.
I promise you will feel joy if you try…
Begin with 1.
(Appendix 1)
The Flip
My dad would do this silly flip on my parent’s big bed
just for fun with his kids when we were young.
We would lie on it on our backs and
he would grab hold of our ankles and say,
“One for the money,
Two for the show,
Three to get ready,
and four to …”
and he would flip us
on to our stomachs
while saying,
“GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”
When I had children they would take hold of grandpa’s hand and
lead him into his room.
They would climb up on the bed and say,
“Money, money.”
And that didn’t mean the green stuff or coins…
It meant the Flip!
How nice and easy life was in those days.
