2021 has been another challenging year, and for many, I’m sure you’re ready to kiss it goodbye. It’s been a year of virtual genealogy sessions and video chats with family. Yes, you might have been able to have some small get-together but let’s face it.. things are not the same as they used to be.
One of the things that I introduced several years ago was the Genie Jar. The Genie Jar is a jar that you keep on your desk, and as you find that genealogy find throughout the year, you write a little note to yourself about what you’ve found. They don’t always have to be significant discoveries; they can even be the tiny ones you feel are noteworthy.
Then at the end of the year.. as a New Year’s gift to yourself, you open them up and rediscover and remind yourself about the many discoveries that you’ve had in the past year. It’s also an opportunity to express gratitude to your ancestors for helping you tell their stories.
I’ve found over the years that often you don’t realize the progress you’ve made in your genealogy. Perhaps you recall the bigger discoveries but what about the small one?
Happy New Year, and here’s to many discoveries for your Genie Jar in 2022.
*Photo is from the Genie Journal available at Shop the Hound and Amazon.
I love this idea. We forget over a year how much we accomplish. I think I will do this for 2022. Thank you!
[…] Kissing 2021 Goodbye and Expressing Gratitude in 2022 by Ellen Thompson-Jennings on Hound on the Hunt. […]
What a great idea!