Making the Most of Memories This Christmas
What is your immediate, gut reaction when someone talks about the wonders of memory making at Christmas time? A cosy glow, a sinking feeling, a sense of loss, a mental menu plan…These are but a few of the multitude of emotional responses we might have. While the Christmas season does offer us many opportunities to meet up and enjoy spending time with family and friends, we want to acknowledge that this is not always a wholly warm and joyful expectation. Our world appears somewhat fractured, many relationships are under pressure, and we can feel fragmented or torn in different directions. The expectation of fun and laughter with friends and of deeply fulfilling family time can heighten any pain we feel around these areas.
How then do we navigate this discrepancy between the expectations all around us and the sadness or stress within us? Can we still enjoy Christmas and the making of memories? Maybe part of the answer is in rearranging our expectations. If getting together with family is always stressful, are there any tweaks you can make to help the day run more smoothly? If you have a child for whom Christmas is very overwhelming, what practical steps can you take to reduce the overload, ensure some good sensory input and manage anxiety? If you have lost a loved one, how can you hold this and yet still enjoy time with those dear to you? Christmas might need to be different, but it can still be good.
Traditions, habits and customs are a part of Christmas for most of us. We each have our own, some passed down from our own childhoods and some new ones we’ve initiated as adults. Traditions engender a sense of identity; “in our family we….” or “every Christmas Eve we….” They root us in our families and communities and draw us together with an invisible cord. They give a sense of security and stability in what seems to be an increasingly unstable world.
Why not do something different with the youngest people in your family to kickstart a new tradition? It’s good to encourage children to look outwards at this time of year. One simple tradition which could be woven into your family is a ‘Smile Jar’. This is so simple to put together. All you need is an old jam jar, some crafting lollipop sticks and maybe a ribbon, gems or some glass paint. Decorate the jar and then write a caring suggestion on each stick that will create a warm memory. This could be ‘hug someone’, ‘give your sibling a compliment’ or more time-consuming tasks such as ‘make a card for a teacher’, ‘put together a care package for someone you know is having a hard time’. Any of these activities is guaranteed to bring a smile to someone at Christmas and it doesn’t have to cost the child a penny.
Seasons change in our lives and as some traditions fade, maybe as children grow up, we have an opportunity to create new ones. Often the best are those which are small and inexpensive; hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows, baking Christmas cookies, gathering greenery to make a wreath or decorate the house, or listening to some of John Rutter’s wonderful carols.
The years go by so swiftly and it’s important to record the memories we make. While we take photos of big events, it’s often the small, humble traditions woven into the rhythms of of lives which create the most heart-warming memories. It’s these ones which we may not always capture on camera. However, we could make a point of doing so this Christmas and then pop them in a frame to enjoy over the coming year.
Picture frames make great gifts, especially at Christmas or other significant dates and festivals e.g. Valentine’s Day, birthdays and anniversaries. A frame is very versatile and can be made out of a wide variety of materials, from traditional wood through to resin, a comparatively recent innovation. They also lend themselves to personalisation, with names and dates or with bespoke colours and design.
Resin is a comparatively new ‘kid on the block’ when it comes to handmade crafts, and with the rise of resin and art and its growth in popularity, resin picture frames could be a good stock item to have over the coming year. The chemical reaction which produces the epoxy resin used today in resin and art was discovered less than a century ago. Its versatility and creative potential were harnessed by innovative crafters and since then we have seen an exponential leap in its popularity worldwide and in the imaginative ways in which it is used. Resin and art have become firmly established in the crafting world and its boundless potential and glorious, glossy products make it a winner for many.
Wood, resin and a number of other mediums all work well to craft picture frames. An advantage of wooden frames is their environmental credentials, so if this is the material with which you work, make sure to highlight its sustainability, whether that be reclaimed wood, driftwood or wood which comes from well-managed forestry. Consider your customer base and let your creativity run wild with a range of beautiful frames. With so many moments to capture, you might consider multi-frames which will hold a number of photos and make perfect presents, especially if filled with delightful and heartwarming photos.
Traditions, whether they involve favourite festive food, special decorations or long-held household rituals all help to cultivate a family culture which is totally unique. They are like a glue which hold you together during the tough times and add sparkle to your celebrations during the festive times. They are there in all their familiarity to welcome adult children home and give us a soft landing into which we can sink back as we take time out from the pressures of normal life.
This Christmas, let’s enjoy our much-loved traditions and begin one or two new ones. Let’s immerse ourselves in all that is good and beautiful at this time of year and make precious memories that we can carry in our hearts (and in some carefully created handcrafted picture frames) throughout the coming year.