A Year in a Jar

Before the countdown to the year of 2013, I stumbled across a post on tumblr that had been circulating for an interesting project: “Start on January 1st with an empty jar. Throughout the year write the good things that happened to you on little pieces of paper. On December 31st, open the jar and read all the amazing things that happened to you that year.”

A few of you may remember... but 2013 did not start off well for me at all.  I felt depressed, exhausted, and unmotivated to the world - this after 2012 being an amazing rollercoaster of a year.

Regardless, I found a large old mason jar in my parents' cellar and dedicated it for this project. It sat on my shelf for days, weeks, completely empty (void of the one paper i had folded on New Year's Day explaining the project).

I started considering replacing it with a smaller jar, thinking that at the rate my life was going, I would barely be able to fill a small jar with a year's worth of good memories. But I let it sit there, collecting dust with only a few measly folded papers over time from hazy memories of small things I had forced myself to write down. Little things that made me smile gave merit to be written down, just so the jar itself didn't look so sad.

As the year wore on, I kept forgetting about the commitment I'd made and would go ages without updating the jar with good memories and slowly I had to start retracing my steps to days I felt good and noting them down. Just a few short sentences or phrases that would sum up a feeling.

As it turned out, by the time I dumped out the jar on January 1st of this year, I had to shake it vigorously to get all the piece of paper out. It surprised me how many little pieces had slowly accumulated over the last 365 days.

I had an odd sensation of remembering writing moments down every so often, but couldn't possibly comprehend the amount I dumped out of the large jar.

I sat on my bed opening and unfolding these little snippets of the last year, and found certain moments and phrases standing out against others.

I felt I should share a few of that jumped out at me:

These two struck me as important moments in the spring months for a turn around in my mental focus from the deep dark wintery place my mind had been living in for months. These little moments made all the difference in the world.

Free. Something I rarely feel, something that is much needed.

 Not everything was deep and meaningful... after being sick for a multitude of days, my ears popping was literally the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me at that moment.

I do believe this one is self-explanatory.

This was one of the last ones I put in the jar from one of my last lectures this semester in which my professor ended his class with: "If what you're learning isn't resonating - even if it will get you a job - if it isn't hitting you right here, in your heart or your head, then go find the thing that does." I scribbled that passage down in the margins of my notes as good school advice, but it is transferable to life advice that I have come to learn as well.

I looked at these notes of memories scattered across my bed and could see a year of transformation, adventures and growth. Finding your place and self worth is not something that happens over night, like this jar of memories, it build slowly and subconsciously before it is over flowing, ready for you to accept it.

Here's to another year and another empty jar.