In less than ten minutes, we had come up with a page full of topics that had to appear in the magazine. We laughed our heads off at all the anecdotes that came to light. In addition to the personal stories from Grandma's family and friends, we filled the magazine with 'coupons', a 'horoscopes page' and an article about art. My grandmother read and looked at the magazine with tears. I think she has read it about 75 times now.
Maaike is like a granddaughter to me. We have a special bond and speak to each other regularly. So I really enjoyed working with her on our family project. Besides the texts we received, we also wrote a few ourselves, such as an article with beauty tips on 'growing old beautifully' and 'fifty wisdoms of turning 50'. In order to make the surprise as big as possible - the birthday boys and girls know Jilster - we packed the magazine in a big box with a box of tissues for the emotion.
My mother was very happy and touched. She had not seen it coming at all. She laughed out loud at some of the photos, but I could also tell that she was moved by the gesture. I read things that I did not know about my mother. I also enjoyed working together in this way and letting my mother know that she is very dear to us.
I am very proud of the final result. The 'Sophie' has become a very personal magazine. Every word and letter has a meaning. Of course, I am not a professional designer or writer. But I think that is what made the difference. The design was not strictly professional, which made the emotion stand out. So I am very proud of the result.
