Celebrating Your Siblings

For most of us, the faces that shine through our scrapbooks belong to members of our family, spouses and children being the most-scrapbooked individuals. Perhaps we devote a page here and there to our parents as well. So often, though, we leave out those who ultimately matter quite a bit: our siblings.

Relationships with siblings shape our lives growing up, and they likely continue to play an important role throughout adulthood. While your siblings are probably already in your scrapbooks here and there, why not take the time to celebrate your siblings on featured pages of their own?

Siblings You Grew up with
Many of us were lucky enough to spend our childhood with at least one sibling. If your childhood was anything like mine, you probably have many, many stories to tell about life with your sibling. I grew up with an older sister. So naturally, I spent quite a bit of time idolizing her, quite a bit of time fighting with her, and quite a bit of time pestering her. No matter where you fall in the birth order, you probably have many memorable moments that were shared with your sibling. These memories deserve to be preserved in your scrapbook albums! Need a jump start? Try one of the following ideas:

• Create a page celebrating a favorite memory of time spent with your sibling.
• Scrap a retrospective layout featuring photos of your sibling "then" and "now."
• Make a layout or spread showcasing the things you admire most about your sibling.
• Create a page comparing and contrasting your similarities and differences.
• Describe on a scrapbook page how your sibling is like your parents.

Siblings You Acquired through Marriage
Given the ever-expanding nature of families, there are many ways to obtain a sibling without being born one! Whether you have in-laws or stepsiblings, these individuals are just as important to include in your scrapbooks as your "natural-born" siblings. Try one of these ideas to create a fun page:

• Scrapbook about the moment you became siblings.
• Reflect on siblings-to-be (in the case of an upcoming wedding) and the things you're most excited about when the relationship begins.
• Create a page about how your life has changed since your sibling entered your life.
• Celebrate what your sibling means to you, and what you love most about him or her.

"Fake" Siblings
Maybe, despite a wealth of births and marriages in your family, you simply don't have a sibling. Chances are, though, that you probably still have a friend that feels like one. Even in cases where siblings don't exist, friendships do, and friendship is the element that ultimately makes our relationships with our actual siblings so valuable. So don't worry if you can't include a sibling in your scrapbooks. Create a page about a special friend using one of these ideas:

• Tell how you met your friend.
• Explain why your friend feels like a sibling.
• Describe what inspires you about your friendship.
• Share what your friendship means to you.
• Record any special memories or moments you've shared together.

Ultimately, scrapbooking is a hobby that allows us to share our stories through photographs and the written word. Scrapbooking has become much more about celebrating relationships, dreams, and feelings rather than simply just recording events. Try creating a page about a special sibling in your life. Finally, be sure to share it with your sibling when you're done. After all, that's what having a sibling is for.

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