Taking a Long Look at Your Priorities

By:Jan Andrews

I was first introduced to Scrapbooking by an aquaintance. She was making a book for her daughter's high school graduation. She frequently talked about the vacation she had gone on to scrap, and how her and her friends would take a one and a half drive to a LSS to take a class and scrap.

Was I interested? "No", I said, "It was too time consuming and sounded awfully expensive." Today, a few years later, I have become an avid scrapbooker and am frequently involved in a swap or am online with my new cyber friends met through scrapping. Was I right? Yes, it is an expensive hobby and is time consuming. It is a hobby I plan on keeping for a long time.

While being self indulgent with my time ( and maybe a little with my pocketbook LOL) I am preserving history just like a historian. The memories I am documenting with my scrapbooking will bring smiles and tears to many eyes long after I am gone. I have made myself aware as well as my family of the importance of everything we do. No longer do I just take the pictures of birthdays and holidays. Those are just a small part of our memories. The everyday events are probably the most memorable.

What made me change my mind to start this hobby? ( or once the addiction sets in, you might call it a way of life!)I was driving down the road and began thinking of a serious head injury my son had had the year before. It reminded me of how short life can be and we have to live for the day sometimes. I have always been a penny pincher and always think over of the cost of an activity or purchase. I realized that beginning this hobby would be for myself and other so I shouldn't have to justify the purchases needed for scrapbooking.

I went to a small crop, from there seeking out info on the internet, from there getting on this site and others and meeting many new friends. As simple as it may sound, scrapbooking as really brightened up my life. I think or participate in it daily. I can pinch a penny elsewhere to allow myself the opportunity to participate in this hobby or as I said before, this way of life.

It is all a matter of prioritizing what is important in your life. My family is right on the top of that list and scrapping allows me to be with them even when they are not physically by my side!

Tomorrow at dMarie Daily: Why do I love dMarie, let me count the ways, by Lori A.