Old Photographs

Remembering where you came from

 

Most of us have a box or two of old photographs lying around. Or, maybe you have copied them all digitally and have them stored on a computer. I remember when taking pictures was such a huge part of holidays and family gatherings. Now, most of us just snap an image or two on our smartphones. These images are immediately shared on social media so that all of our family and friends can see what we are up to. But after a few hours, those images are replaced with something newer and more exciting. And that moment of connection is lost. While there is nothing wrong with sharing our lives like this, it is very different than how we shared memories from the past.

 

In the past, we had photo albums and old photographs to look through. I recall sitting around with family and friends while talking about the memories these pictures evoked. Truly, these are some of the most cherished times in my life. I spent many afternoons learning about my heritage this way. And, as a young wife, I got to learn about my husband’s family history by going through photo albums with his Grandmother. Without these photographs, I would have never spent those afternoons learning about family history. But the most important thing that came from pouring over those old photographs was the time spent with people that I loved.

 

Today, most people don’t think those dusty old boxes of photographs are that important. In fact, a lot of times they are discarded because no one cares about them. But I think they are more important than ever. In our busy lives, we forget that those outdated images represent something. They represent someone’s history. They represent someone’s accomplishments. And they represent someone’s life. If you have some old photographs, be grateful. While some might consider them to be clutter, I consider them to be priceless treasures. These treasured items from the past allow us to remember and share our memories with future generations.