A Living Legacy

By:by T Brown, Cheyenne WY

I began scrap booking for the Air National Guard in August of 1997 when they asked me to be their Family Support Historian. The guard insisted I take a class before beginning in their scrapbook. My first class was thrilling. I made my first page for their album with such vigor that I knew I could do this for my own family as well. So I immediately bought pages for my own album and went to work in creating an album for my family as a whole and then completed one for my children. It was such a joy seeing a story told and the benefits of letting my children savor a living legacy.

During this time I became pregnant, and the desire to work on my scrapbooks became even greater as I was scrapbooking for the last child to be born to our family. I continued scrap booking right through my pregnancy . I was going to crops right up to the month she was born. It was at that time I knew I was interested in being more than just the customer. I wanted to teach others what I was learning; especially my family. There was so much history in our extended family that I knew I couldn't put it all together by myself. So in March after the birth of my little girl I talked it over with my husband and then went to my UM with the desire to become a Creative Memories consultant.

I didn't realize just how mission driven I was until I began learning more and more about Creative Memories and seeing my own students love the art of scrap booking. My UM often refers to herself as a photo therapist, where as I think of myself as a storyteller of history. I incorporate pictures and the real life words in an album and allow time to come to life in a beautiful album.
I strive to teach others how to Preserve the Past, Enrich the Present, and Inspire Hope for the Future. I couldn't drive that home more than with my own story about my grandparents. Both of my grandparents have been dead for more than three years, and when they were buried the stories of their life were buried with them. I have some wonderful memories of them that I am documenting now, but there are hundreds of pictures of them before I was even a glimmer in my folk's eye. Those pictures have no writing with them and therefore we know nothing of a life before my parents. I do not want my own children to have that heartbreak when they are grown and want to tell their own children who we were. So today I work on my own albums and teach others to put their own memories in albums where they can be preserved for future generations!

To top all of this off I have a wonderful support team. My family who without them I couldn't be doing what I am doing. Brian, my husband is constantly encouraging me and giving me new ideas in how to promote my business further. At the same time he keeps me from over committing myself and keeping my attention focused at the things at hand. I also have three beautiful children that inspire my every word and design. And last but certainly not least is the good Lord - who gives me the creativity and ability to apply what I learn in a speedy manner.

Tomorrow at dMarie Daily: Could it be that Scrapbooking is Dangerous?, by By Lyn Meeker, Tucson AZ.