We all have a collection of stories that we remember and tell over and over again. Some of these tales are tall indeed and some, are different depending on who tells them! Family stories are as old as family itself and as scrapbookers we have an amazing opportunity to make sure we write and preserve the stories that will be most important to future generations. We can have fun scrapbooking stories, but we need to make sure that we are also identifying and documenting stories that define the people and relationships that make up our family.
While there is no right or wrong way to tell a story, there are stories that are universally important. The stories of how people are born, where they live, what they do and believe, whom they marry and how they carry on, contribute to or challenge the family legacy. There are stories about hard times and good times, stories about gathering and stories about separation and loss. Many of these stories are easy to remember and to illustrate.
Some of these stories are so difficult to revisit that they are rarely considered, let alone shared. But, stories of all kinds need to be told and voices and perspectives need to be heard—before it is too late.
I want you to think about your own life story and your children. Have you told the story of the birth of each of your children? Have you told the story of meeting your husband or spouse or significant other? Have you told the story of finding your home? That was, I think, an opportunity I gave you on Dozen Day this last month or whatever. I can’t even remember anymore. There are so many stories that are around milestones, around births, around education and getting sort of a life training, going to college and maybe to serve in the armed forces of some kind, stories around vacations and those big kinds of things. Certainly there are stories around loss and around separation and around death. I want you to just start a list of stories that you need to tell, that literally are important in the timeline of your life and in the lives of the people you love. Then I want you to just spend some time…I told you in the welcome note. I gave you the opportunity to unplug. I said to unplug this weekend with your family and your completed scrapbooks. So if you have completed scrapbooks, if not, maybe just watch some old movies, some family movies or pull out photos and just spend some time in conversation with your spouse or your children or brothers and sisters and see what kinds of things are shared. What kinds of stories people recollect, and just be ready to capture and to write those ideas down.
This is a huge, huge topic. We could spend an entire year just on family stories, so we are just going to get started but don’t be overwhelmed, but do be excited at the opportunities you have to tell important stories and then don’t forget to use your inspiration file to track a few of them that you can tell this year and to start to curate the photos and bits and pieces that you need to tell those stories. I am going to share with you the story of the mouse and the blender this week on Dozen Day and I’m excited to do that, and that’s just another fun family story. So regardless of the kind of story you are telling, just be encouraged that you are a scrapbooker and that you have the opportunity to tell stories and that you are committed to doing it because that is totally BIG! I’ll see you on the message board.
Collecting and telling family stories and histories can be an overwhelming task. Don’t be overwhelmed. Instead, be excited that you have a desire to connect to family and preserve and pass down the legacy that is yours.
Be happy in your family. No family is perfect and yet there is joy to be found in every situation. Express gratitude and love for members of your family
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