Operation 1,001 Continued

Now that the Christmas (Jars) season is over I can finally sit down and get back to the story of 1,001 jars.

May 2009

Somewhere around May 15, 2009 I read an early copy of Christmas Jars Reunion (CJR) by Jason F. Wright. Christmas Jars Reunion is the follow up to the NY Times bestselling book, Christmas Jars also by JFW.

CJR picks up two years after Christmas Jars ends. Hope, the main character, has decided to gather 1,001 full Christmas jars and donate them on Christmas eve. As the story unfolds, Hope has lost sight of the true meaning of the Christmas jar tradition. She eventually realizes that it's not about 1,001 jars, it's about one jar. The one jar she will fill, the one jar she will give away and the one family whose lives will be forever changed because of her jar.

After I finished reading my copy of CJR, I experienced the most incredible feeling. I remember pacing back and forth in the kitchen trying to dimiss "the feeling". It was very similar to a loud internal voice telling me that I needed to do something.....find 1,001 people to fill individual jars and donate them to people around the country. I thought it was ridiculous!

For three days I pushed this voice or feeling aside as best I could. It woke me up at night, it kept me up at night, it interrupted my day and basically consumed me. I went for long walks to try and clear the idea from my head but to no avail. I finally gave in and told my mother what I had experienced and she immediately said, "Laurie, you need to listen and pay attention to what it's telling you to do and do it". I thought she was ridiculous! I don't know 1,001 people and I had absolutely no idea how I was going to do this. It was May and not only did I have to find 1,001 people but I only had 7 months to do it!

I had a talk with my self and we decided to try it. I sat down at the computer and forwarded an email to my family and asked for their help and support. Their reaction (after laughing out loud at me) was the same as mine....How? My sister's response was, "Laurie, you always get me into the craziest things but okay, I'll help". I don't think any of us knew at that time what kind of a commitment (time and financial) we had just signed up for!

To be continued...