Baby Brant

Here I go using pink with boys again.  You might think that it is taboo; but, I just love using pink on my layouts.  Although the title implies the page is about the baby boy, Brant, the journaling is mostly about his mom.  In fact, this is the last picture that I have of her.  I could journal a book on this page. Most of my journaling goes on the back of my pages.  

I met Donna in 10th grade.  I transferred to a new school as we had moved.  The first time I saw her, I knew that we had to become friends.  I can even remember looking behind my right shoulder and where she sat in my class and what she wore that first day.  We became instant best friends and remained so, her whole life.  Two years ago, I was notified that she took her life.  (I'll be right back as I still get rivers of tears).  

She was the type of friend who you might not talk to for months but the second you start up, it's like you never were missing a day.  The last time we spoke, she called me.  

Here is the tough part.  I didn't hear her cry for help the last time that she called. I had no idea of her deepest feelings of despair. Had I only tried to be sensitive to what was really going on... 

I was pious and abominable.  Donna had made some decisions that I did not approve of and I judged her.  I didn't tell  her so.  But, she would have known by my responses or lack thereof.

If you knew a smidgen of my life story, you would know that I had absolutely no place judging anyone.  I'm still making peace with myself over my transgressions with Donna.  I've pretty much made peace with all the other stuff.

The good news is that I am learning from the experience.  We are all on various journeys in our lives. We all make mistakes, (as this grievous one of mine).  Hopefully, we attain some wisdom over time and transform to the likeness of the only person who ever lived who didn't make mistakes, Jesus.

I continue to heal and become much more intentional in my listening and kindness to others.   As for Donna, she will not have the opportunity for so many life experiences that I assumed we would go through together. 

I hope that sharing my experience helps you know me a little personally.  I hope it motivates my readers to be sensitive against judging others; and, I hope you know that you can have a friend in me who will fight my human instincts against thinking I've got things more together than you,...I assure, I don't.

My layout was created with this terrific sketch at Sketch-N-Scrap:

as per the challenge, the main kit, (papers chipboard and sequin butterfly) is new, the pictures are over 13 years old and the brads and flowers are well over two years old.

and this fantastic kit from The Scraproom:

...oh, and I used a brad from my January Counterfeit Kit.  :)

Blessings,