Life Changing

LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE
By Leah Thibodeau

Heritage Makers helped me out of a terrible rut.

I had gone through a life changing experience. I was a scrapbooker at the time. I knew that when this chapter in my life was over, I needed to scrap the story. It was an unbelievably important story, and I needed to capture it.

During this episode in my life, I purchased the finest album, page protectors, pens, pages, you name it. I had it all ready to go. But this experience was changing me in ways I could never have imagined. I began to hate pictures. I couldn't stand the thought of taking a picture, being in a picture, or looking at pictures. The emotional trauma of this experience led me to give up on the past, disregard the present, and fear the future.

Once I had come through that experience, I thought things would change. I would often pull out that special album, knowing I wanted to scrap the story of what had occurred over the last six months of my life. But I just couldn't do it. I continued staring at the empty album on my shelf.

Two years later, I met a Heritage Makers Consultant at a stamping event. She told me about the Heritage Makers site and I checked it out as soon as I got home. I booked a workshop in my home and got right to work on my first storybook.

In three weeks I published this very special story of my life, and I didn't even have to pay for it as I earned the credits by hosting a workshop. About a week and a half later, when the storybook showed up at my home, my life changed once more.

I had no idea what publishing that book would really mean to me. First, I have to say that when I first held that book in my hands, I knew why I could never start scrapping the story. It was such an important story of my life. And I knew I could never scrap it to look as good as it deserved to look. I could never do the story justice. When I saw my story—captured in this beautiful, classy, elegant storybook—I wept. This is where my story needs to live. This Heritage Makers storybook does justice to my story.

As I read every page and shared the book with those I love, I realized how healing the process had been. For two years I defined my life by this experience. It literally was all I was. And now that it had been preserved, I finally felt free to move on. I finally began to heal.

I share Heritage Makers with others because I know that the end product means more than just a storybook in your hands. It means honoring the stories of your life, and ultimately, it means honoring yourself. I’m honored to share the gift of Heritage Makers! And thank you, for pouring your hearts into this process. You are helping countless others celebrate, commemorate, and heal. Keep up the good work!