For as long as I could remember, I collected memories. I have my second-grade report card, my junior high basketball schedule, my megaphone necklace from the cheerleading years, and the monogrammed napkin from my wedding. I collect small trinkets in shoeboxes, dresser drawers, and memory jars. In the 1970s and 1980s of my childhood, photographs meant having money for film and developing. Photos were only for special occasions, but trinkets could be slipped into one’s pocket and saved.
I wrote about collecting memories in my new novel, The Memory Jar, but I also realized that in addition to collecting trinkets I’ve also collected stories, prayers, and Scriptures. I’ve been journaling for twenty years. I have thoughts tucked inside spiral-bound notebooks, leather journals, and everything in between.
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