Journals

At the 2008 Scrap Etc Event, the class that was my favorite was taught by Kristi and Danelle from the Creative Cafe Team from Creative Imaginations.  Anyway, the topic was Scrapbooking what REALLY matters.  And I have really changed my style of Scrapbooking over the last year or so anyway after reading Stacy Julian's books (The Big Picture is my favorite) and I have gotten away from scrapping the 'events' and really trying to scrapbook the memories or the stories behind the pictures.  I can put all the pictures into albums, but it is the stories behind the pictures - and all the little things that go with the pictures that I want to remember - that is what I want to put into my scrapbooks.  That is what I want to be spending my time on. 

And I do NOT want to be burdened by time/chronology.  And I haven't been for over a year now.  I can scrapbook what I want when I want to.  And it is very freeing.  And I can get the memories that I want to record down, when they are fresh in my mind without feeling guilty because I'm scrapbooking out of order.

All this said, the Creative Cafe class about scrapbooking what really matters just hit home with me.  Kristi has lost her mom in a tragic accident and all she got was a big box of pictures.  That was it.  That made me really think about what Peyton might get if something happened to me - and I was immediately very grateful for his journal that I started for him when he was born.  I had kind of gotten out of the habit of writing in it, and after the event, I started writing in it weekly again.  And there were lots of places I had put (print X picture) - and after the event I printed all the pictures and put them in the journal. 

Then in May I found out about my bone tumor.  I was scared to death.  A million things when through my head - and one of the things that i was so afraid of was what if something happened to me?  what if something happened to me and Peyton couldn’t remember me! those journals would be the only thing he would have, and the few scrapbook pages I have done since he has been born.  Luckily my tumor was benign and I'm recovering, but having those journals made me feel so much better during that short time period.  I know it is crazy to think that something as small as a journal could make you feel better when you were scared you had cancer and were about to have to fight for your life, but that and prayer did. 

One thing that I am going to start is a journal to my husband, I do have a special box where I keep all our 'love notes' and cards and things, but I think a nice journal to him would be special too - because if something happened to me he would need that as much (if not more) than Peyton.  Words of wisdom and strength and encouragement as well as just getting my feelings for him out on paper.  I have a hard time getting things out sometimes, and the more I journal the better I will get at it (hopefully).

And then a few days ago, my online friend Kelly, had this post, which talked about journalling to your children.   Once again, that struck a note with me.  I have actually been meaning to do this post for weeks, and Kelly's post helped remind me to go ahead and get it done.  Kelly has a beautiful gift and a way with words, she says what I'm trying to say here differently in her post - but it is still the same concept.  Go read it (if you aren't a reader of her blog already).

But, I guess the point of this long post is - that when I scrapbook, i want to scrapbook what matters.  if you want to scrapbook, but you don't want to worry with all the sCRAP that comes along with scrapbooking, or feel overwhelmed to start scrapbooking maybe start a journal.  I think that my journals are like scrapbooks.  I even put pictures in them sometimes.  Just make sure you are putting your memories somewhere!!!