What was I thinking?!? It all started with an evening walk a few years ago...
Let the Memories Begin Again a d.b.a. of Celebration Fixation, LLC - a mouthful for sure! What was I thinking?!?
My walks are as much about thinking and pondering as they are about physically moving my body. I don’t remember why or the context, but I started thinking about my Aunt Ronnie, who, as far back as I could remember, was always ready for any type of party or impromptu celebration.
Suddenly I had a vivid memory from my last visit with her. Even thought she was extremely ill from chemotherapy due to metastatic breast cancer, she insisted that the small group of us who were there celebrate her younger son’s birthday. She had my uncle dig old Pooh Bear party hats and a few noise makers from a drawer, and light the candles on the cake. And although she hardly had an energy to sit at the table, she led us in singing “Happy Birthday”. She passed shortly after this day, but this memory of her has lived on over the years.
I started thinking about how she was always grateful for her life and family, but that she actually demonstrated that gratitude as opposed to just verbalizing her appreciation. She lavished family and friends with special gifts and always wanted to share a good meal and glass of wine with those she cherished. So, it shouldn’t have been such a surprise to me that she would want to celebrate her son’s birthday regardless of how sick she felt.
What I didn’t realize back then, but occurred to me during that walk, was that just stating that you are grateful for someone or something doesn’t really show it. “Gratitude” by itself is simply an adjective, but “Celebrate” is a verb. So being grateful is a feeling ("I feel grateful for…") whereas a celebration is that gratitude in action… even in the smallest of ways as my Aunt demonstrated.
A celebration is simply “the act of expressing joy”
I thought about this for a few days and began to wonder why the term celebration tends to be reserved for parties, special occasions, events and holidays. Shouldn’t we be seeking out reasons to celebrate this life of ours? The phrase “Celebration Fixation” popped in my head. At first the word “fixation” bothered me as it felt too much like an obsession or addiction, which in our culture, has pretty negative connotations.
But the more I thought about it, I began to think that maybe it did make sense. Just like most else in life, there are extremes. But, if we could moderately “fixate” – direct our focus and attention – on seeking out reasons to celebrate, wouldn’t we be living with more intention and awareness?
I decided I wanted to do something with this idea, so I started a Facebook page called Celebration Fixation and wrote this in the about section:
Let’s fixate on celebrating! Why?!? Well…who doesn’t love a celebration? A celebration is simply “the act of celebrating.” However, what if we expand the way we think about what, why and how we choose to celebrate in our lives? The Celebration Fixation is here to explore, share and spread those ideas! It is my belief that by focusing on what we can celebrate, no matter how small, large or insignificant it seems, we begin to see and focus on our lives and the world differently. Celebrate what? Our family, special occasions, daily life, appreciation of others, seasonal transitions, and creating or strengthening connections through small acts.
Eventually this concept became the premise for wanting to start a business that could help others to create intentional, meaningful moments – gatherings, events and more. In 2018 I started down that path and even hired a business coach to help me organize my ideas and develop a plan. That’s when Celebration Fixation LLC was formed.
Although I was making progress towards launching, I still felt like it was “not right” or that something was missing. Intuitively I knew that memorable moments lead to lasting memories, and that most of us usually capture and remember these through photos, videos and items such as awards, certificates, ticket stubs, maps, cards, etc. I mean, I knew this well as I had a whole room FULL of these things myself from my life and my children’s lives.
I then knew that the missing element to my business idea was the memory-keeping piece. So, as many multi-passionate creatives often do, I pivoted suddenly and decided to learn about the emerging industry and profession of photo organization and management by joining The Photo Managers.
My idea was that I would side-line the events and gathering/memory-making direction and focus on organizing print photos and designing photo books. Initially I planned to focus solely on Disney vacationers to help them curate all their magical moments and experiences. That’s when the name “Let the Memories Begin Again” was created. The inspiration came from a Disney parks campaign from the mid- 2000’s (Let the Memories Begin) and the idea that these cherished memories can and should be documented and revisited.
In early 2020 I had set my sights on launching with the new business name and direction. Then… Covid! And, just as so many others that year, it seemed like I faced one setback after another. But, thanks to technology and some innovative people, I was able to spend much of the year, and beginning of 2021, in learning mode including taking on a photo book client.
During this time, I also revisited a few of my original ideas about Celebration Fixation with the refreshed view that both making AND keeping memories needed to be a part of my business. But I wasn’t sure how to make it work together. In addition, I was re-reading and studying two books I love, “The Power of Moments” by Chip and Dan Heath and “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker. Although each book has their own methodologies, I noticed many threads that connect them together around creating defining, impactful moments. I also began to recognize that the memory-keeping aspect I was now focusing on wouldn’t be possible without having had memorable moments to begin with.
I knew I had to find a way to bring these together; To “let the memories begin again” in the sense that we need to recognize the value of finding reasons for and making time to celebrate life’s moments AND to “let the memories begin again” by curating, enjoying, and revisiting our cherished memories so they don’t fade away.
From the beginning I had an inkling about what I wanted this business to be but could not figure out how to combine these ideas and concepts. Years of life experiences and skills honed. A walk that led to thinking about celebrating differently. A life-long passion around creating memorable moments and capturing the memories, unexpected setbacks and lots of personal growth.
It would take 4 years to eventually come together, but I am excited and thrilled to welcome you here and help you create, curate and celebrate your life’s magical moments.
It’s time to celebrate: Let the Memories Begin Again!
Cheers,
