Capture your holiday memories in a Christmas journal dedicated to just the holiday season.  Every year start your Christmas Journal in the middle of November and keep it going till the start of January. It may look like a regular binder or scribbler but inside it will hold years of Christmas memories.  You can even add pictures and you will be surprised when you look back at just how much your broken heart was able to heal. This is a perfect place to record gifts given and gifts received.  A place to record the current year’s births and deaths.  Old homes and people no longer around, plus new adventures with new additions to your friend list. Don’t fret that you have never kept a Christmas journal, now is the time to start.  As this is your first year with your Christmas journal you can start by recording past years.  Ask your children and friends about their memories and add them to your journal.  In fact, this can be a marvelous activity to start the holiday season with. You don’t need a special or expensive journal.  A scrapbook or binder works just as well because what matters is what it contains.  In your Christmas journal keep a list of people with addresses that you want to send Christmas cards to.  This will get updated over the years.  The added bonus is this list will be available if you need to track down lost family members or friends. If you collected a special ornament for every Christmas this is the perfect place to devote a page to document the year and description of each ornament.  Also, record ornaments from others with a memory so that when you’re gone others will know the significance of each ornament. Record your holiday meals – What did everyone make and if special enough write out its recipe?  Describe the Christmas meal and who was there and who was missing.  What was your favorite side dish, dessert etc.?    Jot down who made it? Holidays are a time of gathering, be they friends or family.  Record in your Christmas journal those you celebrated with and what you did together.  Remember to identify each person, example: “Jane” was your Aunt and “Alice” was your childhood friend. Lastly, everyone has traditions in their family and this is where they should be recorded.  In my family we always opened one present Christmas Eve (no Santa gifts, of course).  The one present was a serious pick and was often the most fun.  In the morning we each took turns opening our presents and always had to tape the gift tag to the gift so everyone would know who got what. If your family has religious traditions, record when and where you went to celebrate your church services.  What was the holiday message/prayers/blessings given?  Were there any special guests speakers/programs or music? Remember, your Christmas journal is all about the memories, love and holiday spirit that’s part of our lives; past and present. Our Shared Journey,                                                                                       Mary Francis is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, Certified Law of Attraction Facilitator, Early Intervention Field Traumatology (EIFT) and Author/Founder of “The Sisterhood of Widows”