As this paper goes to press, there's a certain spirited buzz in the air. It's Christmas week and it seems like almost everybody is fluttering around with last minute holiday planning and preparations.
And sure enough, the big day comes to pass with families and friends enjoying each other's company and feasting on delights both big and small. Many belt buckles have been loosened and piles of once pristine wrapping paper are nothing more than stuffing for garbage bags.
If you're still enjoying the company of loved ones, take a look around. Besides the hysteria that is sometimes caused by people being cooped up together for too long a period, what do you see? People that remind you of Christmases past? Those that have made this holiday season something extra special? And maybe those you can't wait to see until the next big event?
Really think about what makes these people around you so special. And while those thoughts are running through your head, find yourself a pen and paper, a computer keyboard, or even one of those cell phones that lets you write gobs of text. Then start writing.
It needn't be long or flowery prose. Just what's going through your mind. And don't stop until you get it all out of your head and onto that piece of paper or glowing screen.
And even if you've since parted with your loved ones, or didn't get the chance to see them this holiday season, you can still write down your thoughts and memories.
The point is to have some sort of testimony to the life you're living, your own personal archives, autobiographical notes, or whatever you want to call it. Your life is indeed interesting and your memories are indeed valid and worth recording.
And it's up to you whether or not you want to share this trove with other people. Maybe you'd like to write down your thoughts and memories for this or the next generation - not to be shared until they're mature enough to fully appreciate what you've written.
Perhaps it could be a way to connect with those who aren't always close by, by starting a dialogue of shared experiences. Or maybe it's for your own pleasure and benefit, a way not to forget those small details that seem to slip away with time.
How often do we chuckle when a memory blips across our consciousness? Well, just think of this as a way to make sure those blips become something more permanent, more tactile and more cherished. You'll almost certainly be glad (if not now, but later) that you made the effort.
Christopher Vaughan
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