Wendy's Wonderings

Dear Peter,

I hope you are doing well today. I had a great, but busy day. I had a scrapbooking party, and it went very well.

I know I have told you about my hobby of scrapbooking. It is really more of a passion. A "Mission" if you will... I feel that scrapbooking is so important. It is much more than just putting photos in an album. It is telling the stories behind the pictures. The history of the people in the pictures. Passing the heritage down for generations, and knowing that because I use very safe scrapbooking products that my older nephew's great, great, great grandchildren will be reading the words that I write today and it will look just as fresh as it does now. I want them to know about us.

A well known scrapbooking supply company puts it this way. " Your first car was a monstrous ’79 thunderbird. First pet? A goldfish named Frank. First date? It’s OK to talk about it. It was all real. It’s all part of who you are.

You see, the small stuff doesn’t just matter. The small stuff is everything. It’s part of your story. And you’re the only who can tell it."

I couldn't have said it better myself. :-) The saddest thing in the world is to look at a photo of someone you KNOW you are related to, and not know a thing about them. Not even their name. I have been in several antique stores in the last couple of years, and I have seen boxes of family photos for sale. The people put them in there because they don't know who the people are, so they don't want to be bothered. That is so sad to me!! Not to know your heritage, your people, where you came from...... It is so important for the future generations to know what we have experienced. Both the "ups" and the "downs", so they will know not only their family history, but will perhaps learn a lesson of how to get through the hard times. To know that Uncle "John" was a man of integrity, so they will strive to be like him. To see a photo and say, "I look like Grandma Michelle", or "I have Aunt Jennifer's eyes." For someone to love writing, or crafting, or reading and say, "I got that from... It is in my blood." It's about family, and loving the family that will not be here, until long after we are gone, enough to tell them about US.

Okay, I'll get off of my soap box now. :-) As you can see, I am very passionate about scrapbooking. I also find it relaxing, but this is the "bigger picture", so to speak. :-)

Please, tell Tink that I said, "Hello", and I will write again soon.

Love,
Wendy Darling