Here's the deal: I am realizing that my life is passing right before my eyes, and I am on the verge of a new chapter--and it isn't just one thing, it's a million things all at once...
I think the beginning of it all started last year when Colby graduated and walked out of high school and right into a fabulous career as a software engineer (yes, he's a genius) and I realized I was nearing the end of my life raising children. Now, within the last several weeks my youngest child and only daughter turned 16 and then went on her first date within the week (way faster than I wanted that to happen), I took Dylan in for his mission physical and we are mere weeks from him turning in his mission papers (I could swear he just got baptized), and I signed papers for my oldest son, Braden, who is disabled, stating that he is graduating from his school and transitioning out this year. But it doesn't even stop there...I just put Savannah on a bus headed to California with the school choir, Dylan is preparing to travel to both Atlanta and Nashville for various school competitions, and my super-genius is filing his own taxes and I have now lost him as a deduction (and yes, this is sadder than it might seem). It's like the perfect storm of anxiety for me.
All of this led me into my closet where I started perusing my scrapbooks. Even as much as I love this hobby, I haven't even made a dent in the boxes and boxes of pictures I've taken and will never in my lifetime be "caught up". (I hear that stupid phrase all the time and honestly have no idea what it even means!) The thing I can honestly say though, is that those books are helping me more than any other single thing. Not only do I have the pictures, but I have the stories that go with them. All these glorious books are showing me just how WONDERFUL my life with my kids has been up to this point. I don't just have pictures of vacations, birthdays, or Christmas...but I have all kinds of every day stuff that I would have long forgotten if it weren't for my scrapbooks.
A specific example of this is some pictures of Savannah that I took when she was barely three, wandering the backyard exploring the flowers--little purple pansies that had sprouted all over the yard in early spring and she couldn't get enough of them. I followed her around taking pictures as she carefully poked them with her tiny fingers or leaned in to sniff them, but she never picked one or damaged them. Looking at the pictures and reading the story of that day made me feel like I was back there, living it again. I was sad for a minute that it was over, but also so happy to be able to remember that it happened. And I also realized that it was a small glimpse of the beautiful girl she has grown up to be, who still loves flowers, whether it's the tulips just popping up in the yard or the roses given to her by a boy asking her to a dance.
I am so grateful for my scrapbooks! They will always be there...reminding me of how great my life has been, and giving me hope for more great times in the future.
Often I hear people give reasons why they don't scrapbook...maybe you've used one of these yourself...
I'm just not creative enough to do that...
I don't really have time to scrapbook...
I wouldn't even know how to begin...
It's too late to start now...I have too many pictures and I'll never get "caught up"...
I don't have any artistic talent at all...
or my personal favorite...
No one will ever want to look at them, so why should I bother?
The funny thing about scrapbooks... it isn't about the creativity, the artistry, the embellishments, the paper, or any of that stuff. It's about the story that you NEED to tell. And you may not be telling the story to anyone other than yourself, but that's okay, because that's who you SHOULD be telling. Just like keeping a journal--maybe even better, because it includes the pictures to go with it.
If you have pictures and memories, that's all you need. Buy some paper, slap those pictures down and write your story. Don't be afraid to use your own handwriting either. All the rest is just fluff and in the end it isn't going to matter. For me, I love the fluff... but if that's not you, don't let the fluff be the thing that stops you. Include all the moments of your life--the good and the bad. Discover for yourself how things have changed, what you've learned, and create a way to remember what your life is about...because before you know it, you'll blink and everything will be different.
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