If you are or have ever been a customer of my Creative Memories business, you have heard my stories. I always open my beginners classes with two stories, my why moment and my aha moment.
Today, I will launch a refreshed Scrappin' With The Girls website and officially begin my journey to carry on this annual retreat started by The Original Girls. I thought what better way to start than by letting you get to know me and why I love this treasured passion called scrapbooking!
Go back, way back, like nineteen and a half years. I was in my late twenties and had just had my first and only child, my sweet little baby boy, Brody (aka my reason for living moment). The best advice anyone ever gave me was from a friend named Julia. She said, "You brought him into this world, now, let HIM show it to YOU". That's what I tried to do daily, see the things through his eyes. So much wonder, curiosity, and love in one little bundle of joy. The world was amazing and beautiful.
A month after he was born I was exhausted. One of my very best friends, Melissa, and her husband came to visit and meet little Brody for the first time. She told me that I needed a break and that I should get out of the house. No way. I did not want to spend one minute away from this new little miracle. She told me it was healthy to have some "me" time. I almost gave in until she said she wanted me to go to a "crop" with her. What the heck is a crop?
Melissa explained to me that it was a bunch of women in a room scrapbooking for 6 straight hours! It sounded absolutely crazy. I had so much to do and I definitely didn't have time or the desire to sit around and put stickers on pages and draw pretty little doodles and dots. She said trust me, if you don't like it just sit there and we can talk and catch up.
So I caved. I went to this "crop" and it was actually kind of fun. It was a little therapeutic too. The lady that held the event was a Creative Memories Consultant named Lisa. She was so fun and energetic and she was so excited I was there. I immediately formed a bond with her. Needless to say she was very good at selling her product too and I ended up taking home a "collection". It was a little awkward when I went home and I told my husband, Jeff, that I just spent $117.00 on stickers, paper and a really cool trimmer. As always - he was supportive from day one even if he didn't quite understand why.
For a solid month while my baby napped I scrapped! I stood at our kitchen bar and started his baby book. I got a lot done! I even did this thing called journaling and wrote about what was happening in the pictures. I was enjoying the craft more than I could have imagined.
Then, one early September morning, the 11th to be exact, I was sitting on the floor in front of the TV with Brody watching GMA. I had just changed him into a new set of clothes to start our day. He had just started smiling and I remember how happy I was that morning with him and he seemed happy too. Then it stopped. The whole world just stopped. I watched the TV in horror and held tight to my baby wondering what kind of world I brought him into. I prayed that he wasn't watching the world through my eyes at that moment.
I wondered, what if I had been in those buildings? My child would never have known me or the love I have for him. In that moment I realized that the little hobby of stickers and paper was so much more than a craft. It became my mission to make sure he knew me and my love for him. My albums became my form of communication to my family so that my husband, son and step-son would know how proud of each of them I am and how much I love them. That was the day I realized I would never stop scrapbooking. There were moments to capture, stories to be told, and love to express.
Everyone has these moments in life when something clicks and we remember it as why we made a certain decision. Scrapbooking was momentous in my life and opened doors and friendships to me that I never would have had the privilege of before. I'm sure you have a story too and I would absolutely love to know your WHY you scrapbook story. You don't have to be as long winded as I was (sorry, I get that from my grandma!) -- but if you feel like sharing with the group, please tell you your WHY!