So here we are in the closing hours of 2025. Christmas gatherings and celebrations are behind us (at least mostly) for another year, the decorations will soon be put away and the exchange of “stuff” has been made. Some gifts were pleasant surprises, others had just been hinted at or asked about so far back they weren’t any longer in the memory, and still there were those that were predictable or revealed in advance. All of the presents can be enjoyed and appreciated for what they are, and in their temporal way hopefully bring enjoyment or benefit to someone else’s life (albeit what to do with some of them may remain a mystery).
One of the last projects I worked on this year was assembling years of voice work audio for a friend’s spouse. Unfortunately she has been a widow for several years now since health conditions took her husband away. As gifts to her adult children, she had me put those voice recordings onto a flash drive so they can all hear him again – a gift that means much more than the piece of plastic on which it resides. It was a privilege to be a part of them being able to share their family’s memories.
In our family gift exchange I received a most blessed gift this year. To start with it’s handmade and those are always special. Then it gets even more touching when the contents were created by our daughter and granddaughter. What is it? A very simple small glass jar with a metal lid. The glass is clear so you can see its contents, which is a number of folded heavy paper strips. The outside of each is emboldened with a hand drawn fish (it’s known grandpa loves fishing), and then inside each folded treasure is a written note – each an affirmation or appreciation especially for me. They cover a span of years and multiple topics, but each one is very special and irreplaceable in its meaning – both in what is said and in the relationship it represents. Oh, and the metal lid? It has a sticker on it with two short hand written words “Joy Jar” (the naming being compliments of our granddaughter). We all need a “joy jar”, and it will occupy a place of prominence in the studio and be opened quite often. Thank you! And yet, for all the joys of this life there’s another that far outshines them all, and He needs to not be “put away” for another year.
