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A Year In the Life

© Cindy Ovard

Looking back at the year 2000 my memory is jogged with many events that happened to our family. I want to record these events and keep them part of my children's life. They are only young once and for the most part, won't remember much of these days unless I help them remember. Writing family journals and family histories is a positive way to keep these memories alive. It's not just scrapbooking the fun times with pictures that I want my children to remember, but I want them to remember us as parents and as people I want my children to know what made us the parents we are and why we are this way. Journal writing is different than just daily diary writing. It's deeper and much more meaningful. Your soul is tapped with journal writing. You feel your fingers just begin to write, never stopping until you notice you've written a few pages all single spaced. Going back over your writing and reading it brings to light what was in your heart.

Write a family history and have each person take a turn to write or say what they've done or accomplished or not accomplished for that week or month. It's fun to see what is important to a six year old and might be total shock finding out what your eleven year old liked. It's time spent getting to know your children and who they really are. It's quality time with them, it's family night with them and they cherish it.

Looking back over the spectacular year of 2000 we've grown as a family and we've reached goals, ready to set new goals for the year 2001. We can look back and read what we set for the 2000 and see if we accomplished them. If we didn't, no sweat. We'll just cross it off and begin 2001 fresh and clean.

Take a look at the year 2000 with your family and revel in the memories. What sicknesses came your way? What exciting trips did you take? Think of the fun two weeks spent in front of the TV in September as we watched those Down Under. Whose reunion was it this year? What new family friends did you make? Just think of the sweet memories and cherish those. Write them down. Put them in ink for generations to know what the 2000 was to you and then, after you've done all you can for the year 2000 think of 2001 ahead of you with the whole millenium ahead. Cherish these times, you'll never get a second chance.