50+ Lifestyles

New Beginnings

… take the time to make special memories to fill your heart.

By Mary Schricker Gemberling

“Beautiful memories are like old friends.
They may not always be on your mind,
but they are forever in your heart.”

It is early December and we are still at our condo in Florida but are leaving tomorrow to fly back home for the holidays. There are twenty-three of us this year, and we are headed to Grand Bear Lodge in Utica Illinois. I love this gathering we have every year with our entire blended family; I know we are making wonderful memories for all, but especially the grandkids! There is nothing so wonderful as the magic of Christmas through the eyes of children. I also know that not all grandmas are lucky enough to spend time with their grandchildren due to factors beyond their control. I know our family won’t always be together and as the children grow and spread their wings, sometimes they will be too far away and too busy to come home. The following story I read recently shows however that as grandmas we must find a way to connect, and not just at Christmas but all of the time!

In a small sunlit kitchen, sat an elderly woman named Grace. On her table was an old, empty mason jar labeled “Joey’s adventures.” For decades, every summer Grace’s grandson Joey would visit, and they – shells from the beach, tickets from the fair, a leaf from their favorite park. This year was different. Joey, now grown up, couldn’t visit due to his demanding job in a distant city. Grace felt a pang of loneliness, staring at the empty jar. It was the first summer in years without the sound of Joey’s laughter filling her home, without new memories to add to their jar.

Determined to keep the tradition alive, Grace decided to fill the jar herself. She took small trips around the neighborhood, collecting items that reminded her of Joey. A movie ticket from the theatre they used to visit, a pressed flower from the garden he helped her plant, a photo of the two from summers past. As summer ended, Grace wrote a letter to accompany the jar and mailed it to Joey. The letter detailed her summer, how each item reminded her of him, and how much she missed and loved him.

A week later, Grace received a video call from Joey. He held up the jar, his eyes brimming with tears. He’d spent the evening going through each item, each carrying a story, a memory of his grandma. He apologized for not visiting and promised to make more time for what truly mattered. The jar, once a simple container, had become a symbol of their unbreakable bond. It wasn’t about the places they went or the things they saw; it was about the love they shared, the memories they cherished, a reminder that they were always together at heart.

Joey promised to visit soon, to continue filling the jar, not just with objects, but with moments of laughter, stories, and love. And Grace, with a heart full of joy, knew that the jar would never be empty again.

(Story was found in a daily newsletter entitled memaw@devotedgrandma.com)

The upcoming New Year is a wonderful opportunity to connect with those who you miss spending time with. Whether with friends or family take the time to make special memories to fill your heart. If you are able plan a time to get together; make it a weekly, monthly or seasonal visit if possible. If you cannot physically travel to meet up, take advantage of the wonderful world of technology in which we live and connect via computer or telephone video call. If you are technologically challenged turn to a younger neighbor or friend for help you set it up. It is easy to live with excuses or reasons why someone never calls or visit you, but the reality is you are the one who needs to take action and change that. Don’t let life pass you by while you sit in loneliness lamenting the fact that your family and friends do not contact you. Be like Grace and make your own ‘New Beginnings’!

“A treasured memory is the lasting gift of time well spent.”

Mary, a former educator and Seniors Real Estate Specialist, is the author of four books: The West End Kid; Labor of Love; Hotel Blackhawk; A Century of Elegance, and Ebenezer United Methodist Church; 150 years of Resiliency.