I was late this year in putting up our holiday decorations. It wasn’t because I was too busy or was away, I just wasn’t in the mood. Without the usual festivities and being with family, it wasn’t on the top of my list. In fact, it wasn’t on my list to do – I was going to skip it this year.
After having a few friends prompt me along, I took a deep breath and pulled out the decorations. A few minutes later, I was feeling better. Out came my grandmother’s Santa salt-shaker that was my favorite toy to play with when I visited my Grammie during the holidays. Out came the Christmas teacup which was one of the last gifts my Nanna gave me before she passed. Out came the stocking hangers that my husband and I found while roaming idly through a holiday church craft fair years ago while on a weekend getaway. Out came the colorful and happy ornaments that were once my mother-in-law’s. Out came other wonderful decorations that had sweet memories of past family get-togethers and family members themselves.
So, why is an estate planning attorney telling you this? I’m starting to realize that it’s all about the stories and memories. I’m not saying to keep stuff for the sake of keeping it. I’m a fan of Marie Kondo’s approach to whether to keep something or not – In other words, does it bring you joy? I can tell you that pulling out our holiday decorations and remembering the story of a particular decoration truly did bring me joy today and reminded me of all of those people I love.
My next step is to make sure I share the stories surrounding these cherished decorations and who these wonderful people were in my life. It’s now time to write some stories down.
