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End of LIfe Project

tam65

tam65

Break out the lawn mower!
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Nov 14, 2013
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I am trying to think of a project for my sister and her family. My sister is 48 and this week discovered she has neuromuscular disease and very little time left as the disease is rapidly taking hold. She still has one child at school and two who have left school and a husband. I am looking for an inspiring way to celebrate her life but create happy memories preserved. Any great ideas welcome.

Thank you in advance
 
From what age do you want to do? You could do a layout or two of each year either as a family or her life. Or do an album of special events.
An emotional one, would to give her the option to make one for each of her children and or with her memories or words she wants to say to them. You could do the same album or book if you needed and just change the journaling. Anything you do for them is going to be special. You could have friends contribute to the book and make it a tribute to her. There could be a special trip or weekend or party for her to celebrate her life with her and then make the album. Have people write memories or notes to her and be sure they have someone take a picture. You could do some of the simple basic albums so you could get it done and add the writing.
 
Ohmygosh... this totally made me start to cry. I have no answers. Just big hugs to you and the family. Heart breaking.
 
@carilyne thank you for your ideas. I like the idea of putting her own thoughts to a photo book. I am sure putting that on my list.

@scrapsandsass thank you for your thoughts. I too have tears a plenty. It certainly is heart breaking.
 
That is just heartbreaking! Big hugs. I like the idea of a book with photos and family and friends writing thoughts and memories in it.
 
Glad I could help. My thoughts and prayers are being sent to her, her family and yours. This is such a precious idea. And that is my favorite. To have something she helped make just for you is so special. I did one with words from my mom's journal and my dad and sister loved it.
Hugs to you.
 
I'm so sorry. I'm thinking of you and your family. Such a heart-breaking time! Hugs!

As for your album, I would want to mix big moments and all the little details that make her, her.
 
I really like the idea of letting her say what some of the photos mean to her. We do that for ourselves when we journal but doing if for some one you love who can't do it herself is a major gift. Lots of love to you all. :heartslub
 
Oh my heart. I'm so sorry to hear about your sister. I love that you are trying to capture her memories. In the interest of time, I would suggest maybe video taping her talking about certain photos and memories. That way if you don't have time to scrap everything that you'd like to scrap right away, you'll still have her memories captured. And I'm sure that her kids will love to look back at her as she is right now and hear her voice. My FIL passed away this spring from Alzheimer's and the thing we all treasured the most at his visitation was a random video we had of him when the local news station did a story on him getting educator of the year. We hadn't heard him talking in years and it was so cool to see him from before that awful disease stole his personality.
 
I agree with videos . . . adding a QR code to a scrapbook page or a photo collage is easy to do and directs the viewer straight to the online location of the video.

And certainly have her tell you thoughts, maybe about certain photos? I know as a daughter, I would find that to be such a treasure, to know what my mom thought about a photo she had taken or loved.

Keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.
 
You've got some great ideas here already. I don't have anything to add except hugs to you and your family.
 
Agreed - there are great ideas posted here.

I am so sorry to hear this sad news - please know you and your family are being thought about and I'm praying for you all! I just lost my sister 6 weeks ago to cancer ... sending you lots of hugs!!
 
I think you should find a way for her family and friends to tell her their favorite memories. etc. Just the suggestion might get them to record videos or write a letter. These could all be scrapped now or later but she should have a chance to hear the love from her family.

You are both in my prayers!
 
I am sending so many big hugs to you! I cannot even imagine...and what you are doing to preserve her legacy is just amazing.

I really can't add any more ideas than the great ones that have been posted here, but I wanted to chime in with many thoughts and prayers for your family.
 
scrapsandsass said:
Ohmygosh... this totally made me start to cry. I have no answers. Just big hugs to you and the family. Heart breaking.
Click to expand...

same here.
I lost my very best friend in 2000 and he was 46... I also think the ideas given are better than anything I could come up with, but I would suggest that, without hurrying, you make a book (which you can work in even after she is gone) for her kids.... a book from when she was little -you can try gather as many photos and either take photos of the photos with a digital camera (which is what I do) or scan them- if you think making it from childhood will be too much work, at least make it from when she got married, showing the life with the children and husband....
I started scrapping because my husband was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and things went wrong, I wanted my daughter to know how amazing a husband and father he had been as we separated in 2001- and my daughter , now 20, treasures every page of those scrapbooks (I made 7 books for her 8 first years of life) so I am sure the children will treasure the scrap pages you can make .
Huge huge huggzz
 
Hugs to you and your family. There are some great ideas up there, especially the voice ones. If you have the resources, setting up a video camera while she goes through the photos may capture even better stories, and take some of the pressure off. You are wonderful for wanting to preserve this for your sister and family.
 
i agree with what has been said above, this is a terrible situation and any project will be hard and heartbreaking - i would echo that getting multiple people involved and points of view is as important as enjoying the time left together
 
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