Capturing Meaningful Milestones

When a milestone occurs, a life is changed. Typical milestones may include first haircut, first tooth, starting school, graduation, or a wedding. Documenting any milestone is always worth the effort put into it. Defining moments of growth often evolve from unique milestones. If we recognize them, we can include them in our scrapbooks for future generations to learn from. I have chosen four of those milestones, from my life, to share.

I have a child with special needs. He will experience milestones different than most. My son had spina bifida and won't have scrapbook pages of his first steps nor many of the typical milestones of my other children. Yet, I have recognized his own special achievements and recorded them. When he got new equipment to help him stand, we were excited and thrilled for this big step. By including this milestone in his scrapbook, I can always look back and remember those tender feelings I felt when I saw him first standing on his own. [See Example 1]

Another milestone I chose to document was the first time I sewed a dress for my daughter. I'm not a seamstress, and had always had a desire to make an Easter dress for her. With lots of help from both my mother and mother-in-law, she now has the prettiest dress I have ever made (even if it is the only one). I wanted to document this milestone so my daughter could see the results of my first sewing project. Also, in case I never sew again, I have a record that shows that I did achieve this significant goal. [See Example 2]

Whether small or large, achievements deserve documentation. Some milestones can be painful to record, yet they are still important in the development of human beings. When my husband's family sold the family home, it was very painful for them. The home was over twenty years old and they had built it with their own hands. The parents had raised seven children in it. The memories were rooted deep in each of their hearts. I felt it was important for my family to have a record of this event. Though the emotions were tender that day, every time we see this day recorded in our scrapbooks, we fondly remember one of the happy/sad times we shared there. [See Example 3]

My 23-year-old sister has Down's Syndrome and is mentally challenged. She is a gem. For most people, graduating is an important achievement. Yet, when Avalon graduated from seminary, it took on special meaning to me. Learning doesn't come as easy for her, yet she perseveres. Her face was shining on this day. She knew that this was an important moment in her life. Putting my feelings about this day into a layout helped me share my thoughts with her about how proud I was of her. Every time I see this layout, I feel the strength and endurance of her sweet spirit. [See Example 4]

Here are some helpful tips on making sure you give your milestones the recognition they deserve.

1. Make a written record (journaling) of the feelings you felt during the moment(s) in the photographs. Though it is fun to add decorations to our scrapbook pages, the impact isn't as great if we don't give information about what was being achieved in the photos. Including the thoughts of others in your pages can make the journaling more interesting. For example, in my son's layout, I included thoughts of the therapists who were working with him when he stood alone for the first time. For great tips on scrapbook journaling, check out The Scrapbooker's Journaling Companion.

2. Include a descriptive title announcing and introducing the event. A great reference for page titles is the book A Play On Words which is available right here in the Scrapbook.com Superstore.

3. Add personal items (memorabilia) that relate to the event. In the layout of my daughter in her Easter dress, I made a border from some of the fabric that I used to make the dress.

4. Try recreating the feelings of the photographs within the layout. I tried to create a homey feeling in the layout I did about my husband's family's house by including a picket fence and birdhouses. I wanted it to feel warm and cozy so those who looked at the layout would know that this home was not only built with love, but was filled with love as well. For my sister's layout, I chose to create a pocket page. This way I could include the important memorabilia that she received during her seminary graduation. I included the invitation, program, and some congratulatory cards.

No matter how you tackle scrapbooking your milestones, remember that these precious moments are what we make of them and what we learn from them.

Eva Flake is a Featured Artist in the Scrapbook.com Neighborhood and is a scrapbook instructor. Her scrapbook pages are works of art.