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Scrapbook designs have changed overtime; however, the concept of scrap-booking remains the same. Scrapbooks are a way of preserving time on paper. They allow people to look back, reflect, and remember. Scrapbooks remind us of the way things used to be. Friendships, accomplishments, tragedies, and current events are just some of the items that make up scrapbooks.
When my grandmother passed away a couple of years ago, we found an old, beat up, dusty, black book in her attic that was tied together with a shoe string. We weren’t for sure what we had stumbled upon. Was it a hidden treasure or simply an old, beat up book?
After carefully untying the shoe string, we were amazed at what we found. It wasn’t the first Bible or some historic book. Rather, it was an old tax book that my grandmother’s grandmother decided would make a great scrap/recipe book.
This scrapbook showed a different era and time in history. Preserved on each page were memories, pictures, recipes, newspaper articles, and old remedies. Some items meant something special to her and others were merely reminders or recipes that she may or may not have used. Either way, it allowed the whole family to learn about this person we had never met and gave us an inside perspective of what life was like and what was important to her.
My grandmother’s grandmother either could not afford to buy a real scrapbook or simply didn’t see a reason to spend money when she could make due with what she had. Obviously, she didn’t see much use for that tax book and thought it would be of more use to her as a scrapbook!
It just goes to show, scrapbooks come in all different forms. Some are made by professionals, others by children, and most by families. It is a way to leave your legacy behind. It will be treasured by loved ones, friends, and family. Whether or not you made the scrapbook makes no difference. It tells a story: the story of your life and how you want that life to be remembered.
