You are so smart!

By:Susan T.

When I was in fifth grade my bright star passed away. Mimi was always the one, despite my learning disablity, who always seemed to know how to encourage and uplift my self esteem. I can still hear her say "you are so smart". And I think she really meant it. I am now thirty and have with great determination, not only graduated from high school but have gone one to earn my Master's Degree and am preparing for a teaching position overseas. The only thing I have of memories of Mimi is what plays over in my head. For some reason no one in my family took many pictures of her, or her life. I am convinced that everyone will make some kind of impact of someones life, and that person should know about it. I decided once I learned about unsafe albums that I must do something to leave a legacy for my future kids- I also wanted to make sure I took the time to visually demonstrate to others the appreciation I have for the impact they have made in my life. I can tell my husband I love him, and I do, but oh! the joy on his face when he sees me taking the time to memorialize our life together in the form of pictures and lots of journalling. My husband and I haven't started a family yet, but I am excited at the possiblity of having my life documented in scrapbooks so I can start to document theirs.

I don't just scrapbook for the future though. Trust me, it is somewhat selfish, I enjoy the quiet retreat it is to be surrounded in all those stickers, pictures, paper, stuff...I love the unlimited opportunity to express myself through the vechicle of scrapbooking. For some it is simply a hobby- a thing to do in thier free time. Not for me, it goes beyond a hobby or a fad. It is here to stay, for generations. Scrapbooking has become who I am. It is a part of life.

I may not have a ton of pictures of Mimi, and I may know little about the circumstances that made her who she was, but I do have the memories what how we interacted that helped shape the person I am today. I know without her encouragement, and ability to see past my "challenges", I would have given up. Now I flip through my own scrapbookings and can her her say "YOu are so smart." And I smile.







Tomorrow at dMarie Daily: I love scrapbooking, by By Joyce Trowbridge,Powell,TENN