Remembering Alex

By:by Karina, in IL

Five and a half years ago, my first son, Alex, died at the age of 27 months. My second son was 6 1/2 weeks old at the time. One of the hardest things for me to face was knowing that most people I met would never know my son Alex, and that his siblings would not get to know him either.

When I was introduced to scrapbooking two years later, I knew I had found a way to keep Alex's memory alive. I began immediately to remove Alex's photos from their magnetic albums, and creating a book to tell the story of Alex's life.

Along the way, I discovered something. I was not just creating a book to help my children know their brother; I was experiencing a catharsis as well. As I documented his first food, his first teeth, his first steps, I relived the experiences. I felt the same joys. I was able to put the focus on the wonderful life that Alex lived, and the love I felt for him and from him. Scrapbooking helped me in my grieving process.

I finished Alex's album, and it's a favorite book for my boys. I have continued on to create scrapbooks for them, as well. Someday I hope to put the photos from my childhood in albums as well. My children should know who I was as well, after all!

Tomorrow at dMarie Daily: One Mom's Perspective, by Margie M.