Sharing a layout - more past truths

Just in case you'd like a few more examples of the real truth in scrapbooking, here are a few more layouts from years past. Read with caution. :) 

This layout followed a huge change in my life that I struggled to make sense of and deal with - for me, it really meant the death of a dream that I had. I didn't journal terribly extensively or anything, but I am glad that I got these sentiments down on a layout for future reference.

This layout isn't negative, really; it's just a picture of how very poor my exhusband and I were when we first got married. I think future generations might find the information funny or at least interesting. I mean, where could you live for $260 a month anymore? Lol!

 Wonky colors below - the layout above shows the color more accurately. Idk why it did this. Grrr!

Being the mom of a teenager was definitely not what I expected at first; Kelsey and I had a rough go of it during her junior high years and freshman year of high school. This layout is a reflection of me coming to terms with living with a teenager. Moms out there - y'all know exactly what I mean...

 I'm not sure why the colors in the above photo are so off...the photo below is more reflective of the actual colors irl.

And here's another layout about a breakup that I struggled with for a long time. I wondered if pulling out these layouts would make me sad or anything, but really they just show me how far I've come since then. If that's not a reason to scrapbook the truth, then I don't know what is.

Thanks for all the kind words that y'all shared with me after my first round of truthful layouts that I put up on my blog Monday of this week. It does take bravery to share those layouts with you because they are a raw, unadulterated look at what I was feeling at the time. It's not about the design or the pictures or even the moments they reflect - really, it's about how I've grown and changed from some tough experiences. I'm so thankful that I have these layouts. They paint a more accurate picture of who I am and what my life has looked like than if I'd only scrapbooked the happy things.

For me, telling the real story is sometimes a therapeutic activity, a way for me to work through the things I'm feeling. That being said, it has definitely been a growth process for me. When I started scrapbooking, I didn't really share any of the tough stories. I don't know if it'd be worthwhile to go back and try to fill in the gaps with some truth at this point. Maybe what I'll do is include some layouts now that I have some perspective on the past. That would be a way for me to focus on the growth I've experienced while still being honest about some tough situations. Guess I need to add that to my ever-growing list of projects I'd like to make, need to make, should make.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear what tough stories, what truths you have told in your scrapbooks or the ones that you feel you should tell. How do you decide what to share and what to keep private? Oh, and I'll be sharing at least one current layout on Friday that also tells a tough truth about my life. Hope you'll stop back by and visit. :)