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I will never forget something my grandmother always used to say when articulating what she believed life was all about. She would commonly say that at the end of your life you are left with one thing, a memory bag. She used the imagery of a memory bag that should be filled up at every opportunity as an attempt to push herself and her family to take time to cultivate memories instead of things. It wasn’t until I got a bit older that I realized how life changing the idea of a memory bag could be.
The imagery of grandma’s memory bag inspired me to take up photography as a hobby that would later turn into part of my profession. The reason is that in order to take a memorable photograph you first have to put yourself in front of something memorable. The act of seeking memorable things to capture with my camera lead me to capture memories that I will cherish forever.
As I contemplated what gifts to get my loved ones I couldn’t help but wonder how much happier we would all be this holiday season if we listened to my grandmother’s advice and gave the gift of memories that will last a lifetime instead of fleeting possessions. What would happen it instead of a new tablet we gave a wine club membership that would encourage our loved ones to enjoy a glass of wine with somebody special? What would happen if instead of a brand new pair of shoes we got a boat club membership that allowed us to enjoy endless weekend trips on the water with friends and family? What I hope will happen is that we will reconnect with our loved ones in ways that could not have been achieved through stuff, but can only be achieved with a catalyst that reminds us to build memories together.
I know that it goes agains the consumption based tendencies of current holiday culture, but I truly believe that giving somebody the opportunity to make memories is always better than giving our loved ones more stuff. The older I get the more I realize that if all of us had grandmothers who shared their concept of filling a memory bag, we would all lead much fuller lives.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and above all else hope that you will fill your memory bags with joyful experiences that will last your whole life through.
