Love Notes

I probably should have shared earlier in the month so that someone could have actually used this idea, but I pulled one together just yesterday, so if you're still looking for a unique gift, you might still have time...

We started a "love jar" tradition years ago (2004, maybe?) for Brendon's parents. The idea is that family members who live far away can "hear" from you once a week by pulling out one of the love notes you've written. Each Christmas we write 52 notes, print them and cut them apart, fold them up, and send them off. The first or second year we did this, we sent the notes in a ceramic jar that says, "Somebody in Texas loves you!" and all the years since we've just placed the notes in an envelope for them to refill the jar.

When we first started, most all of the notes were written by Brendon. I've added more and more of my own each year, and now that the kids are older, they've started to contribute as well. The notes are a combination of memories, thank yous, and expressions of love. They range from one liners to several sentences, from sweet to sarcastic to silly. (Sometimes they will call us laughing about a note that they've read recently.)

This year I decided to get all of my family on board with this idea to give to our Grandpa Hurst. We pulled it together in less than 24 hours, and hopefully it will be something he can enjoy.

I put his in an easy-open, flip-top box from Hobby Lobby. (At 97 years old, he doesn't need to be fiddling with any lids or latches!)

Here's what it looks like inside, filled to the brim with love notes:



I typed up his notes in an extra large font for (I hope) easier reading:



The great thing about this gift is that it is flexible. We do it for Christmas, but you could do it every year for someone's birthday; you can do it as a large group, or you could write all the notes yourself. You can put the notes in practically anything, from a nice piece of pottery to a cleaned out jam jar that you let the kids decorate. It can be a once a week note like ours, or any number of notes that they can pull out any time they need a little pick-me-up. And it really is easy to write so many notes, especially once you get going. Below are some of the prompts we typically use to get started:

I love how...
I love it when...
I love that...
I love to...
Thank you for...
Thank you for teaching me...
Thank you for loving me even though/when...
I appreciate...
I learned ______ from you.
I hope you know...
I hope we...
I remember when...
I remember how...
I'll never forget...

So go show 'em some love! (And thanks to my family for helping me get Grandpa's together so quickly...it's already on its way to him!)