Journaling In Your Scrapbooks: Is It Really Important?

Looking through my grandma's scrapbooks I always had to ask "Who is this?"  She shared the information proudly.  But, over the years, some of the details became foggy.  After she passed away there was no one left to ask. By journaling in your scrapbooks, you can make sure your story is told.  It only takes a few minutes and can be inexpensive.  

The only tool you really need for this project is an acid free journaling pen.  You can pick these up at any craft store for a few dollars.  Once you have this, you are ready to start.

There are three simple steps to journaling in your scrapbook.    

Who is in the photo?  This is the first question that you need to answer.  Be as complete as you can.  If you know the person's full name, write it down.  You can write Mom under the photo, but I usually put the person's given name on the first page.  This is good for Family Tree information later down the road.

When was the photo taken?  Even if you don't know the exact date, if you know what year the photo was taken in you are all set.  You can even put a time frame, for example, 1999-2000.  

What is happening in the photo?  It could be a vacation, a family reunion, a trip to the zoo, a baptism, etc.  If you took the photo it was a memorable event.  So, make sure you write it down.  If you aren't sure what is happening you can always share a story about the person in the photo.

Where did this occur?  This is not as important as the name and date of the photo, but I like to add this when I can.  If a photo is taken  in front of your house, write that down.  Some people look at the faces in a photo.  Other people focus on the surroundings.  

No matter how much information you have you should include it in your scrapbooks.  You may not have every piece of the puzzle, but you may come across someone in your family that can fill in the blanks.

It is important to share your story.  Telling someone the story as they look through your photos doesn't guarantee they will remember.  In a few minutes you can journal the story and be sure it is told for generations!