Have you ever wondered…What will happen to all the old photos in my closet?
I am the lucky keeper of my husband’s family photos. They are stored away in multiple shoe-boxes on the top shelf in my closet – old albums and boxes of unsorted black and white pictures of distant family members. Most of the pictures do not have a description, and we can only guess what stories are hidden behind the photos. So what do I do with all these memories? You can’t throw family albums away! It is overwhelming to think about what will happen to all boxes and albums when I am gone. They will have no meaning to my children in the future.
Thankfully I did have a reason to go through some of the boxes. I am putting together a legacy video for my mother in law and I was searching for pictures to illustrate her childhood growing up in California. I was able to find what I was looking for and after scanning about 50 old pictures I started sharing them with her on Facebook. She was so happy and excited and she started telling the stories behind the pictures. Stories came to life.
A photo without a story has no value to the next generation.
When I help people with their life story video it is a fantastic opportunity to organize the photos and to tell the stories behind the pictures. It takes time and focus, but it can be a wonderful experience especially if you share it with somebody. Our memories are stored as images and the photos help us relive and remember some of the great moments in our life. Whenever you go though old photos stories come to life and you start to appreciate even more the life you have lived.
Do your family a big favor. Take the time to sort through your old photos, write a description on the back or in the album. Scan photos to share with family members on social media. It is a gift to the next generation.
After sorting get rid of the bad pictures that really have no significance and don’t tell a story. Today bad photos are deleted before anyone can see them. Don’t count on your children to store the photos in their closet.
A photo without an explanation has no meaning to the next generations and the stories and people in the picture will fade away just as the photo will.