If you have checked out my Pinterest, you may have noticed that I am a huge fan of mason jars, specifically Ball jars.  I have been since as far back as I can remember.  As I write to you now, my space is illuminated by a blue Ball canning jar that my dad added a light fixture to years ago.  A local antique store now carries about every gizmo and gadget you can attach to your jar to make it a light, a soap decanter, a hanging planter, etc., much to my hearts delight!

Just a simple Ball jar filled with flowers brings me joy.  It is my “go to” hostess gift whenever visiting a friend.  It can be enjoyed, repurposed, passed on, recycled.  My niece gave me a blue Ball canning jar with a gift certificate in it for my favorite eclectic, vintage, retro boutique as a Christmas gift last year…that was a home run for sure!

I was supposed to be traveling today but there was a change in plans.  So, I am tidying up a bit around here, perusing Facebook and Pinterest, and enjoying my cup of coffee as I write to you.  Two mason jar related articles ended up in my path.  The first was for something that ended up in my shopping cart recently but found it’s way back onto the store shelf as I knew I could create it myself for much less than the hefty price it was tagged. It was a painted, distressed mason jar.  Thanks to MommysLifeWithATouchOfYellow, I have the perfect tutorial and am eager to get into my craft room and create!

The next article in my journey today was found at From Famine To Foodie.  I have found the perfect baby shower gift to give.  A jar full of 976 pennies…a penny a week to represent the passage of time from birth to age eighteen.  I also liked her hourglass approach of moving the removed pennies into another jar to serve as a reminder of time invested.  What a delightful gift to someday give to one’s high school graduate.  The possibilities are many as to what such a jar may represent to you.

As for me, I realized for my eldest, my “jar” for her is empty.  My “pennies” have been spent.  She turned eighteen in November.  I didn’t stop being her parent that day, life didn’t magically morph into something new, a date just passed that significantly marked the passage of time.  Did I spend our days well?  I hope.  The days turned into weeks turned into years so swiftly.  When they are little, time seems to crawl then all of sudden you find yourself here, launching your young adult into her life of responsibility.

I am grateful for this sweet season.  Perhaps I will grab an empty penny jar and at the start of each new week with her I will deposit a new penny and keep my jar visible so I am continually reminded to make good, positive deposits into her life?  Perhaps I will never put a jar out on my desk but I will just choose to be more intentional with my words and my actions. Regardless of where we find ourselves in our journey of parenting, today is a new day…one filled with hope and possibility.  Today is a day where we can determine to live life to the fullest.  One where we can turn off the TV, the texting, the social media for a length of time and be intentional in the life of those we love.