Scrappin' Retreats

I experienced a major milestone in my life on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008, with the loss of my mother, Charlotte Jensen, from Dayton, Tennessee.

While waiting to greet visitors at the funeral home, my brother and sister and I were totally surprised when our dear family friends, the Zopfis, brought us 2 framed GLAMOUR SHOTS of Mom taken just FOUR DAYS before she died! They own the senior living community of apartments where Mom had resided the past two years, Courtyard Village, and their daughter Lily had taken glamour shots of ALL of the residents that previous Tuesday as a surprise for the residents' families at their annual Christmas Open House. Of course, they didn't know they'd be scrambling around between Saturday and Monday afternoon to get her photos developed & framed before the funeral.

For us, it was such a wonderful, unexpected gift -- to be able to place these 2 photos near the casket & "show off" our beautiful 84-year-old mother! Why, you can even see the sparkle in her eyes -- evidence, along with her smile, that she was no doubt thinking that day, Oh, won't the kids be tickled to see me in this red feather boa!  They won't believe it's really me . . . 

Of all of my photographs of Mom, these will remain my favorite, for they reminded me, in the midst of my grief over her death, of her LIFE.

I was so moved by the photos of ALL of the residents at the Courtyard that I prepared a Heritage Makers digital album to surprise the Zopfis with just before their Christmas Open House. Take a look! (I created it using a premade template, so it was easy. There are hundreds of templates available for free at Heritage Makers--check it out!)

Though we miss her very much, we didn't "lose" her . . . for as Christians, we know that she is in heaven with her Savior Jesus Christ, and we have the confidence that we will be together with her (and Dad!) throughout eternity.

This experience with the glamour shots has made me more aware than ever that our photos do represent the stories of our lives! Continue doing what you're doing to preserve those photos and stories so that the generations after you will understand their heritage through your eyes.

Karen