Do you document the tough times?

[Ronisdragon]

Hi Ladies. I was wondering if, and how you document the difficult or upsetting events in your life. This week was not great. We are having some financial struggles which is making it necessary for us to move. I am not working right now for personal reasons. The only things I have to document this week other than eating cupcakes are related to stressful events. My mom is of the mind that you should only photograph the happy times. I want to be able to look back on our current difficulties and see that we got through it. I will be be including a few filler cards this week and I have some with quotes that are appropriate. I can't even think of what kind of color scheme to go with. I'm almost leaning towards black, white and gray with a couple of rainbow cards thrown in. Would you avoid doing a gray page? Does anyone have examples of what they have done for tough weeks? Do you tend to focus only on the positive? Thanks so much!

 

[HeatherB]

Life is filled with the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've documented the bad and the ugly occasionally, but usually don't upload to galleries since they are quite private, but I will include in a personal book.

I think it is important to show my kids my life wasn't one-dimensional, kwim?

 

[talktoheather]

For the most part, I mostly have scrap pages I can show you as examples:

anxiety - http://www.myscrapbookart.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=481690&ppuser=7463
treasure you - https://the-lilypad.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=43644&title=treasure-you&cat=all
growing up too fast - https://the-lilypad.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=26286&title=growing-up-too-fast&cat=all
prompt one - https://the-lilypad.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=26187&title=prompt-one&cat=all
without you - http://www.myscrapbookart.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=387463&ppuser=7463
i'm so lost - https://the-lilypad.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=24102&title=i-27m-so-lost&cat=all
i'll find a way - http://www.myscrapbookart.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=385517&ppuser=7463
ugh - http://www.myscrapbookart.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=378628&ppuser=7463
too much - http://www.myscrapbookart.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=378622&ppuser=7463
there is always - http://www.myscrapbookart.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=377476&ppuser=7463
abcde - https://the-lilypad.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=22814&title=abcde&cat=all
never let go - http://www.myscrapbookart.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=373423&ppuser=7463

and here are the two PL pages I made for the two weeks around my grandfather's funeral:

week 5 - https://the-lilypad.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=43258&title=week-5&cat=all
week 6 - https://the-lilypad.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=43257&title=week-6&cat=all

It's such therapy at the time. I also love being able to look back and feel so much better and stronger for getting past it all.

 

[heathergw]

scrapping is therapy for me... so yes, I scrap everything and especially the bad times and most definitely in my Project Life pages because life isn't roses all the times so I want my kiddos to remember and see that, so I actually feel it's important to put them in my PL pages just for that reason, to share with my kiddos.

 

[rmcabana]

I am a big believer in scrap therapy! Scrapping has really helped me through some hard times! I think it's important to remember those days as well - especially when you can look back and scrap about overcoming them, too! I have done pages about losing family members, being sick, paying off debt, a car accident, my weight stuggles and just feeling down. I love those pages even if they are sad because I know they are probably the most honest things I've ever scrapped.

 

[Heather Prins]

yes i do all the time. I think its really important for my kids to not think my life was perfect or that we had all the answers. One day they will be adults and may want to see how we handled things "behind the scenes" so to speak. Life is not perfect, make it real.

 

[lmccandless]

I agree with everything these ladies have said. For your story to be authentic, it should include the bad & hard times too. My PL last year, for example, had quite a bit about my dad's cancer diagnosis. There was one week particularly that I could not scrap at the time it happened because it was too painful, but I've gone back and completed it now. That said, sometimes scrapping those hard times in the moment can be very therapeutic. It's whatever works for you. I hope your hard times come to a close soon, Roni.

 

[Ronisdragon]

Thank you ladies so much! You have been so helpful! Heather, I love your pages and scrapping style!

 

[Karen]

I also do scrap the rough times. It's part of life, no reason to pretend the bad times don't happen. I don't always post them online, so they are in my books!

 

[renee82]

Scrap therapy is sometimes the best therapy and I never hesitate too... I actually had a page published in CK magazine about my PPD... So no, don't hesitate to scrap the tough times.

 

[mom2triplets04]

I scrap hard times as well. I use my scrapping for therapy. This past week has been a difficult one (Hubby's health) hence my page hasn't yet been done. Trying to think of how I'm going to put it in my album. There are times when I put in an object to remind me that something happened yet I don't want the whole family to know. I would put like a smile face, arrow, or heart, $. I have also used quotes. Good luck with your financial situation. We've been dealing with that for a long time as well. We are now trying to fight our property tax since our house went down in value again! Uggg!

 

[4noisyboys]

yep...I'm scrapping the bad and the good...and hopefully it shows it all in my PL pages.

I just spent the weekend with my mom and dad. My mom is in a nursing home with alzheimers...I only got one pic of her (usually I take more), and it's an awful one...but it really shows what it's like now for her and for us. I'll be adding it and journaling about my visit.