Time Machines

By:Theresa S.

I started scrapbooking about two years ago. I have always been involved in various crafts, but knew when I discovered scrapbooking that this was the ultimate craft for me. I have the ability to indulge my creative side, and create lasting keepsakes that are meaningful to my friends and family.

This year, I made small 5x7 albums for my inlaws, including photos of our five children from the past year. My inlaws called on Christmas morning, and went on and on about how much they loved their gift. My mother-in-law said, "We received a lot of nice things for Christmas, but your gift was the nicest one of all." I have given many handmade gifts over the years, but have never received such high praise.

But, the story of your family and their life, presented in a creative and personal way, is a creation that is sure to delight and inspire those who view it. Both my parents have passed away, and I realized that their stories, their memories, are gone forever unless they were preserved to share with future generations. Every day, little pieces of our past disappear entirely. My grandma's stone house, where we spent many happy hours as children playing with our cousins, was torn down a few years ago. The only things left are some photos, a couple of salvaged stones, and our precious memories.

Our scrapbooks are a kind of time machine, little messages to the future from the past. We can tell our children and those who come after them, who we are, what is important to us, and what our lives are like. What could be more worthwhile than preserving the past and communicating with the future?

Tomorrow at dMarie Daily: Untitled, by By Jo Ann Rhodes, Lexington, SC