Scrapbooking the Blues

"If singing the blues is a gift, I think I'd rather have a toaster."- Bob Snider

None of us expect trials. None of us want them. Trials greet us usually unexpectedly. What are we to do with these trials; what are we to do with our feelings of sadness? Usually, there is not much we can do. We must live and learn. It hurts, but scrapbooking can ease pain. I will walk you through a process of sorts, a pattern I have seen or cultivated in my own life.

In the Midst of Pain
There is so much pain we will experience in our lives. I cannot touch base on all that will come to be, but here are two examples of real pain in my life.

I love my husband, but we've gone through some rough times. The truth is that sometimes I doubt "us." Why? Because I expect perfection for those around me. Not only have my expectations caused me grief and disappointment, but I have hurt those whom I love the most. Sitting down to write about my husband helps me to heal my wounds, as I look at all the lovely qualities about him. Have you made some mistakes? Create a layout or list and write about all the qualities you love in somebody, and what you love about yourself. You can forgive others and yourself. Writing about your mistakes can also help you remember not to do it again.

All of us have had some type of death in our lives. Whether it's a family animal, or somebody whom we've known all our lives, death is inevitable. I was 4 months pregnant when I miscarried, 2 years ago. It still hurts. I finally created a layout about it. I want to remember, I want people to know, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it for some time. I wanted it to be just right. Scrapbooking about death can be healing and a beautiful way to honor and immortalize a lost loved one.

Have Hope to Cope
"Hope is a vigorous principle; it sets the head and heart to work and animates a man to do his utmost," declared 17th century British writer Jeremy Collier. Hope takes energy; it is not an automatic thing. What will you do to vigorously cultivate hope?

This layout is a note of hope, to me. My tendency is to worry and fret about everything. This note is to remind me to believe what I know to be true. The battle is not won; I still worry about things, but this layout will help me.

When I made the layout, Resurrection, I was going through depression. I had just moved to a new place and felt very lonely and isolated. The truth is (nobody knows this) that I did not want to put my smiling face on the layout. The truth was I wasn't smiling at all. But, I had hope that I would be resurrected from depression and that I would smile again one day. If you read the lyrics, it says exactly how I felt. And, I DID smile eventually.

Make Light of the Situation
Not all suffering is the end of the world, or maybe it is? Just the same, you can make light of the issue for laughs or just to get your mind off things. "If you want to forget all your other troubles, wear too tight shoes." ~The Houghton Line, November 1965

Cry Baby and You Scream - Oh my! You will see in these two layouts that for a few years now, I have had the stress of raising a drama queen. She is now 3 and yes, she still screams. It IS getting better though. One day I will look back and giggle at these pages. Did your car break down again? Did your washing machine flood your upstairs? Did you run over your kid's bicycle? Are you pregnant again every time you turn around? Hey, me too! These are all sad things which you might laugh about someday.

Looking Back
Have you made it through some tough times? Are you still alive? We all have come through trials and felt a sense of strength and blessing. Why not journal and scrapbook these moments to always remember where you've come from.

We acquire the strength we have overcome. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sleeping Beauty - Remember that screaming kid mentioned above? Well, when she was born, she wouldn't scream at all. She wouldn't wake up. None of my other kids did this, and I wondered, "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with her? What's wrong???" I remember at the time feeling like nothing else in the entire world could be worse than what I was going through. I remember praying hour after hour for her to be healed. She was. I never want to forget the fear and despair I felt, and how wonderful it was to make it through.

Give Thanks
Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them? ~Rose F. Kennedy

During my depression, I decided that I wanted to think on good things, things I was thankful for. Even though I was without my friends, I was still very thankful for the times that we had together. I always want to remember that, so I created the layout, Sew Thankful

Remember my miscarriage? Well, I got pregnant again. This time, I didn't miscarry. I have a lovely daughter and I never want to forget how thankful I am that I gave birth to her. Arabela's name is Latin for "answer to prayer," but the layout also exemplifies the love and tenderness I feel towards her. After a miscarriage, life and babies seem much more fragile and beautiful to me. She is indeed an answer to my prayers.

I do not want to make jokes about any person's sufferings, but we all have our own day-to-day challenges. They are a part of life. Why do we feel as though they shouldn't be remembered through scrapbook pages? We are to show our children what life is. Life is beautiful, and life is hard. If you are not quite ready to scrapbook your harder times, that's ok, but I still encourage you to take the time to journal your thoughts. It really does make you feel better.