What if I just quit scrapbooking?

You're not alone. Just know that, first and foremost.

I do think you are still grieving, heck, 20 years later I am still grieving the daughter we lost. Sure it gets better sometimes, but it also gets harder in some ways. But you are also not just grieving the physical loss of Esther. You are grieving the 'what could have been' and how you viewed your family and friends. The life you thought you were going to have. My oldest is kind off the rails at the moment (he relapsed his sobriety after a year), so if you are like me, there is probably some grieving with that as well.

For me, I had to come to the point that I am ok. I can scrapbook or not, as I choose. I no longer include my kids in my albums for the most part (some will be there, but not all). I scrapbook my life and my world. I scrapbook my DH and the trips we take, concerts we go to. And if no one else ever sees my scrapbooks, so be it. I am doing them for me. Yes, it does weird to center them just around me, but DH asked me one time why I didn't think MY LIFE was just as important as my kids. And he is right. My life isn't the way I thought it would go, but it still a pretty darn good life. I also think there is value in documenting your relationship with your DH for later.

I can't answer your question if you should give it all up or not. I do know that for me, setting things aside for a bit helps when I sad for the life I thought I would have. Are there years missing? Sure. But I can read my ugly journaling and see how far my marriage has come, my life has come, and how far in my grief I have come.

If you are not feeling it, put it aside for now. I doubt my boys will ever want my scrapbooks or journals. I haven’t scrapped in years. i still love to take photos. They just sit on my phone/computer. I still have scrapbooking stuff that I can’t dump yet, but eventually one day I’ll either finish my scrapbooks or dump everything. Over time I’ve stopped feeling guilty about not scrapping the memories. I did make each boy 1, just 1, book of their years from birth to high school graduation. And I made 1 family history photo album. Any other scrapbooks are mine and the boys have no obligation to keep them.

I don’t even really journal anymore. But the journaling was always just for me, never expecting anyone to read them. Journaling was just a good way to get things out of my system.

Put the things aside. You may want to do it again one day, but don’t beat yourself up about it. I feel like there is so much social media pressure to document everything these days. Anyway, I am starting to ramble. Hugs to you!!

I quit scrapbooking a long time and have never looked back and don’t miss it.
It had its time and place, but it’s good to move on.

Stop overthinking this.  It seems you’re no longer getting any enjoyment out of scrapbooking so it’s time to put it away and revisit it sometime later or go to digital scrapping.

I gave up scrapbooking over 10 yrs ago when I realized that no one was going to want 20+ albums to have to deal with after I’m gone.  I can always go online, upload a bunch of photos, add some info and have a small album made if I want a physical book or I can go digital if I ever get the urge to ‘scrapbook’ again.

Do what is going to make you happy and it sounds like right now that’s your crocheting and quilting.

Yeah -- way more in common than I would wish on anyone. You are right -- we can choose to live a peaceful life, and that does not mean we don't love our kids or want the best for them. It just means we cannot fall into the hole with them.

I quit scrapbooking many years ago because it just didn't fit into my life anymore.  I have zero guilt about it.  I also purged some scrapbook stuff but not all.

However, I still wanted to be crafty so I transitioned to card making. It makes me so happy and is such a stress reliever.  

You have other hobbies so just put scrapbooking aside and move on to something that brings you joy.

I see my albums as photo books. FB and TT and IG and all that won't always be around I feel and I don't post much there anyways. When I visit my parents I go through 1 photo album each time. Love to see the photos and reignite the memories.

Wrong Linda. Linda - no s - is who you are thinking of.

I transitioned my scrapbooking hobby and that’s worked for me. I like documenting do I turned that focus to ancestry and am trying to pull all the information into one location. It’s a creative outlet, too, because there’s some puzzle solving, and a few mysteries have unraveled which is fun to uncover.

I also started making more of those photo books. It’s easier than trying to be chronological, which always slowed me down before. Now I can put all the Christmas photos together or Disneyland photos and not have to worry about the year. I don’t get to play with paper (collecting pretty paper may be my favorite part of scrapbooking) but I feel like I’ve accomplished something and it’s not a never-ending task.

Maybe switching things up will help you. It’s also ok if you completely stop, get rid of your supplies, and just move on.

Maybe document it in a different way more if a journal maybe adding a photo here and there. Everyone needs to do what works for them.

I whole heartedly agree about a quiet life. And grief. Our griefs are different. But no matter what the grief is about it sucks that anyone has to have that on their plate. And I am sorry things have gone south again. Hugs. Lots of hugs.

For me quiet sounds nice but I guess I have come to terms that while life has gotten a lot quieter, it will never be quiet. The kids needs, especially ds will always require my support as long as I am alive and able to do so. My life will never look like a typical families life. Mine will always be full of medical supplies and forms and fights and a child in a group home. Not off on their own making memories as an adult should, doing adult things.

But I am totally here for doing things that bring YOU joy.

Memory keeping can be quite personal for many.

I enjoy it still but I have done way more scrapbooking of family history.. getting the old stuff organized and labeled, doing projects for others, making tiny 1 event albums...
I never did much day to day stuff.. more big trip scrapbooking.

but do what is best for you. there is no one way to live our lives.. we have to do that when all is chaos around you .

sorry about the news of your daughter. you have been through so much.