My parents didn’t have much money for cameras or developing film, so we don’t have nearly the pictures I’d like to reminisce over our younger years. Plus, the box with two rolls of film of myself and my brothers was lost in one of our moves, so there are few pictures of the second half of us when we were little – and the last year of my dad’s life. It might be why I'm a stickler on keeping memories alive through photographs. I don’t want to lose those special moments with the people I love.
Skipping to the next generation – mine – when we were raising our children, we also didn't have tons of money to put into video recorders or lots of film developing, so our collection of film memories is also slimmer than I’d like. Fortunately, we have enough to help us go down memory lane whenever the urge hits us. These days, our grandparenting years, we have digital cameras and our ever-handy phones which have amazing built-in cameras. I love being able to take lots of photos to get those perfect shots. I drive my family a little crazy at times because I’m always taking pictures. And I do get some treasures. The problem is that many of the shots – whether they are perfect or blurry – will have several in a row of a child, but you can’t get rid of any of them because the child is making a different face in every one of them. We have so many photos that I have to go through them occasionally and get rid of as many as possible before we run out of storage. Even though there is an amazing amount of storage out there – especially if we’re willing to pay for it. Thankfully our brain database seems to have an unending supply of room – even if we can’t always recall something the moment we need it.
To the present generation I say, don’t get too used to the easy access of today’s cameras and phones and forget to keep taking pictures. One day you’ll be me looking back over the photos of the children or special moments and the fun we had, which inevitably brings a smile to my face. Or you’ll be regretting that you quit taking photos, because, I assure you, photos really bring out memories that have faded to the back of the brain’s recesses.
I know when I get around to choosing a photo for this blog, it will be the hardest one yet. I have so many I’ll want to use. But that’s a blessing. We have photos of ourselves and our children, our siblings, parents and grandparents, and even great & great, great grandparents…how do you choose? I won’t even bother to glance through the grandchildren’s photos – too many and not truly in the spirit of the blog, which is about remembering, reminiscing, reliving and loving the past, the family moments, the joys and sometimes even the sorrows. But mostly the joys. I truly hope you all have some photos that bring you joy and that help you to fill in some of the blanks of who you were, who you are, who you’ve loved, and what joys there have been. May you wander through them with a smile, and then step back into the present with the smile intact.
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