My kids will never have fancy scrapbooks. Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever finished Abby’s baby book. For the last few years, I’ve been shoving my photos and keepsakes in a drawer in our dining room. Someday, I’ll try to put them in an album.
My kids may not have albums, scrapbooks, or photo collections. Instead, they have journals.
When I was pregnant with Nick, my sister Amy bought me A Mother’s Journal, A Keepsake Book For Thoughts And Dreams. I opened it up and started writing even before he was born, and I haven’t stopped. (I have the same journals for Anna and Abby.)
So, when my kids took their first steps, I didn’t have a picture. I wrote it in the journal. When they had their first toddler tantrum, I didn’t get it on video – I wrote it in the journal. Sure, I got a little behind on their baby books, but at least I still recorded the memories.
I don’t think it matters how we record the memories. But I do think it’s important to hold them tightly in our hearts, journals, scrapbooks, and albums. I’ll give my kids their journals when they’re much older – maybe on a special birthday or milestone. They grow up too fast, and I want to keep capturing those special moments in writing.
How do you keep the memories? There’s no magic formula, but we all need to take the time to make our family record. If not you, than who?
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2 comments:
What a great thing to do. I wish I had done that. I have my journals about how I felt but not persona; ones created from my three children individually. One of the things I treasure is 7 months worth of emails between my youngest daughter and I from when she was 15 and left Sydney, Australia to spend time on student exchange in the North of France. I keep that email address active because I haven't had a chance in the busyness of life to print them all yet. I am now very inspired to do just that. Words create the most beautiful pictures. Thanks Clare
What a great thing to do. I wish I had done that. I have my journals about how I felt but not personal ones created for my three children individually. One of the things I treasure is 7 months worth of emails between my youngest daughter and I from when she was 15 and left Sydney, Australia to spend time on student exchange in the North of France. I keep that email address active because I haven't had a chance in the busyness of life to print them all. I am now very inspired to do just that. Words create the most beautiful pictures. Thanks Clare
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