there's power in memories

This is my favourite mug.  I purchased it on a trip to Las Vegas that I took three years ago with my husband and our friends.  I love the mug, not because of the mug itself, but because of the amazing power it has to bring me happiness.  It has the capacity to instantly remind me not only of the margaritas I drank (they were tasty), but also of the friends we traveled with, the amazing food we ate, the experiences we had and the minute-to-minute laughter that made my stomach hurt.  I swear that I open the cupboard every weekend morning and my heart sings a little just by looking at it.  That will sound corny to everyone that knows me ... but it is so true.

Today, as I sipped coffee from my special mug, I thought about the other items in my home that instantly bring a smile to my face:  pictures of our children at Disneyland that are on our mantle, rocks that we picked from the beach last year that I still keep on our kitchen windowsill, a framed menu from “The Fish Market” in San Diego (is it normal that my mouth starts to water when I look at that thing?). 

My task for this week is to have my children identify THEIR happiest moments, find an item or picture that reminds them of that time and find a special place for it their rooms.  What a great way to start their day with a memory that brings them back to joy they felt in that happy moment.  So, this week, I challenge you to think back to your most memorable times – your absolutely blissful experiences.  Are you surrounded by items of your happiest moments?