A thought-provoking audio memoir shorts filled with stories, humor, anecdotes, and commentary on social, cultural, business, and religious issues. Whatever Linden remembers and thinks will entertain, challenge, and inform is a possible subject.
Christmas isn't just for kids; it's a magical season that can touch the hearts of anyone, at any age. From the simple joy of picking out live Christmas trees to the enchanting moment of unveiling our next adventure to my daughter Piper and her mother, the magic of Christmas was vividly alive, not just in the decorations and traditions, but in the shared moments that weave the fabric of our lives together.
A heartfelt gift from Piper—a memory jar filled with snippets of our treasured times—became the centerpiece of our holiday, outshining even the most exciting travel reveal. As I share the profound impact of this humble yet touching gesture, I invite you to reflect on the power of memories and the bonds they create. This episode of "Here for the Memories" is a reminder that our life's true treasures are the experiences we share with loved ones. So, come along as we explore how these cherished moments define us, and why, like Piper, we are all here for the memories.
Here for the memories thought-provoking audio memoir shorts filled with stories, humor, anecdotes and commentary on social, cultural, business and religious issues. Whatever Lyndon remembers and thinks will entertain, challenge and inform is a possible subject. The collection of memories about one's life allows for the development and refinement of a sense of self, including who one is, how one has changed and what one might be like in the future.
Speaker 2:
Greetings and salutations. This is Lyndon Wolfe and you have found my audio memoir on a podcast here, for the memories is what I call it. So glad you joined. Love having visitors. Love having visitors return. Often Christmas just happened. I don't think you missed it. Christmas. Always something fascinating about Christmas, not reserved only for the young. Christmas magic can visit you much, much later in life.
Speaker 2:
Like me, resigned to experiencing the real enchantment of the season vicariously through Piper, my 12-year-old, and Micah, our special needs adopted son, I still look forward to certain traditions, the inexpensive decorations we add each year to the front of our house. Traditions, the inexpensive decorations we add each year to the front of our house. The trip to a local Christmas tree farm to select and cut two live trees, and watching mommy and daughter decorate each as the music of the season plays in the background. All these things come to mind and I love those traditions. Christmas Eve has become my favorite and yet I receive no tangible gifts. But I do receive an immeasurable intangible one, and I do so with unadulterated joy. This year, the downstairs tree, devoid of any presence, gave shade to two lumps of coal, each marked Piper and Mike. The upstairs tree is where all the goodies exist and all the action takes place. The highlight there this day before the big event, is where the one gift is given by me to Piper and her mother. With our family travel map nearby, they opened their reveal gifts, tipping them off to our next global adventure. The t-shirts they unwrapped appropriately in their favorite colors, simply read Italia with a national flag symbol gape. As I inevitably tear up and struggle to keep from becoming a puddle. Piper then changes the color of the travel map pin from bronze to silver, denoting that Italy has been promoted from where we want to go level to the we are going there status, completely ignoring the t-shirt. Piper wants details and I'm thrilled to tell her what I know Venice is home base. And I'm thrilled to tell her what I know. Venice is home base the Alps nearby, and Milan, verona and the Dolomites a convenient train ride away.
Speaker 2:
I managed to control my emotions just long enough to whet her appetite for the adventure that awaits us in just a few short months. The reveal and the subsequent savoring of the experience is usually the highlight of Christmas for me. Much planning has gone into creative ways to share where our next family adventure will take place. To see the expression of ecstasy on Piper's face is worth a year's worth of waiting and all the travel planning involved. But this year that spectacle was taught by a simple gift given to me the following morn as we sprawled on the floor dodging our eight cats who have joined the festivities, playing with catnip toys, boxes and wrapping paper A gift that has meaning on so many different levels.
Speaker 2:
And it came in the form of a simple hand-painted mason jar with Piper's signature style written all over it, With its yellow-based color and dots of various hues in handwriting that belied the dexterity of a 12-year-old. It simply read Memory Jar. Inside was a small piece of paper that had been folded, with the words Playing Golf Together written on it. Piper, it appears, has realized that not only I but she also is here for the memories. What a spectacular and moving gift it was.
Speaker 2:
Later that day I spent an extensive amount of time writing various things that we'd done and experienced together on small sheets of paper written on the notebook paper my son Samuel had given me as a gag gift, and then I hastily folded each of these pieces of paper with a note on it into the mason jar, and what an amazing exercise it was.
Speaker 2:
I don't recall spending my time more wisely Sitting on my nightstand where it could be seen. First and last thing, the memory jar now is a treasure trove of brief descriptions of wonderful experience that Piper and I have had and memories that we have made together. I've done about 50 so far and a reminder that puts me 49 ahead of her, and yet there are hundreds more that will find their way into that hand-painted yellow jar with the simple title Memory Jar. And in perfect poetic justice, the giving of the memory jar became a memory to treasure in and of itself. So the first note I scribbled and folded concisely read the memory jar I'm Lyndon Wolfe. This has been here for the Memories, for the memories. I do pray that you have memories like this of Christmases gone by that are etched in your heart and etched in your mind, make you smile and cry simultaneously.
Speaker 1:
Hello friends, If you appreciate the content and what it takes to create and deliver it, please consider a small contribution. Just go to buymeacoffeecom slash here for the memories. That's buymeacoffeecom slash here for the memories Much appreciated.
