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Story: When I was in my thirties I had two large wedding pictures, in the original antique frames, of my grandparents on my living room walls. In the bookshelf there were other pictures of aunts and uncles, great-aunts and uncles. One night, sitting alone in there I realized I was tired of all those stern old folks looking down on me. The next day, down they came and I remodeled.
They are now stored in the attic and I have several smaller versions around the house. It occurs that the effect of looking at their pictures has changed considerably over the years. Once upon a time the weight of all that family history and expectations felt oppressive to a young person who still hadn't proved herself. Now I'm more apt to look and smile with some gratitude for all those good folks whose adherence to principle helped steer me right. Good memories, all apparently processed, and sort of neutral.
We have tons of family pictures and sometimes on one of the kids' birthdays I'll get a few albums out and we'll pass them around and reminisce. That can really be pleasant and sometimes hilarious. I also get to hear about things the kids were thinking or feeling at the time the picture was taken which I didn't know then.
I tell myself I'm saving them for my rocking chair days and don't go there alone unless I'm searching for a specific photo. I've learned from the experience of going through my parents' and in-law's things that it can be an unexpected roller coaster ride of emotions for me and is best taken in small doses.
I think with my own parents, in-laws and children the memories are still fresh and I'm not done putting them into the best possible perspective in my own life story that I'm not ready yet to do a lot of reminiscing. Although the parents are all gone and the children have long since left home those stories have not yet been completed for me.
None of it is unappreciated. I just need to find the right light to shine on it.
Story: When I was in my thirties I had two large wedding pictures, in the original antique frames, of my grandparents on my living room walls. In the bookshelf there were other pictures of aunts and uncles, great-aunts and uncles. One night, sitting alone in there I realized I was tired of all those stern old folks looking down on me. The next day, down they came and I remodeled.
They are now stored in the attic and I have several smaller versions around the house. It occurs that the effect of looking at their pictures has changed considerably over the years. Once upon a time the weight of all that family history and expectations felt oppressive to a young person who still hadn't proved herself. Now I'm more apt to look and smile with some gratitude for all those good folks whose adherence to principle helped steer me right. Good memories, all apparently processed, and sort of neutral.
We have tons of family pictures and sometimes on one of the kids' birthdays I'll get a few albums out and we'll pass them around and reminisce. That can really be pleasant and sometimes hilarious. I also get to hear about things the kids were thinking or feeling at the time the picture was taken which I didn't know then.
I tell myself I'm saving them for my rocking chair days and don't go there alone unless I'm searching for a specific photo. I've learned from the experience of going through my parents' and in-law's things that it can be an unexpected roller coaster ride of emotions for me and is best taken in small doses.
I think with my own parents, in-laws and children the memories are still fresh and I'm not done putting them into the best possible perspective in my own life story that I'm not ready yet to do a lot of reminiscing. Although the parents are all gone and the children have long since left home those stories have not yet been completed for me.
None of it is unappreciated. I just need to find the right light to shine on it.
I am doing the opposite of what you did. I have so many pics of ancestors, up to the present, and I have always wanted, what I call, my "Rogues Gallery". I always envisioned it in a long hallway, or up a staircase, but what I have will do. My house has BIG walls and lots of potential.
More than picture albums I treasure the VHS tapes I have that my dad taped from the old 8MM movie camera we had when I was a kid. I LOVE seeing me again at age 16. lol They actually cover the years 1957 to 1995 so a lot of memories there. I need to check into having them put on a CD I think.
More than picture albums I treasure the VHS tapes I have that my dad taped from the old 8MM movie camera we had when I was a kid. I LOVE seeing me again at age 16. lol They actually cover the years 1957 to 1995 so a lot of memories there. I need to check into having them put on a CD I think.
I have DVD and online versions of 8mm movies my grandmother made from the 50s through 70s. She did a really good job at family gatherings of moving from person to person and saying something to get a smile from everyone and not staying on anyone or anything for too long. Big family Christmas parties, me and others at various ages growing up. In one it might be my first steps (probably not, but undoubtedly within days of them). The live action, even though it is brief, helps reinforce memories far better than still pictures do. The Christmas parties are absolutely the best.
The thought that usually goes through my mind is OMG, I was so thin back then! And I always thought I was too fat. What I wouldn't give to be "too fat" like that now!
Another common theme is Ugh, the clothes! The hair!How in the world did I think that looked good?
When my mother was near the end of her life, I took a pile of old family photos for her to look at and help me identify. None of them had any writing on the back, and I had no idea who most of the people were. She looked at one group shot of her with all her brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins and said, "I don't remember what the occasion was, but whenever we all got together like that it was because somebody died."
I had boxes of pictures in the basement until I put them in small albums. I put the albums in a couple of large wicker baskets in the family room...they're fun to look through.
I have DVD and online versions of 8mm movies my grandmother made from the 50s through 70s. She did a really good job at family gatherings of moving from person to person and saying something to get a smile from everyone and not staying on anyone or anything for too long. Big family Christmas parties, me and others at various ages growing up. In one it might be my first steps (probably not, but undoubtedly within days of them). The live action, even though it is brief, helps reinforce memories far better than still pictures do. The Christmas parties are absolutely the best.
Those are so fun to watch and because they are "live action", even moreso. I also have some videos of family reunions and those are fun to watch too. They were sent to me because I wasn't able to be there and they are very long! I haven't watched any of them in a long time. Maybe this week. I have a cousin, 16 years younger than me, that I used to babysit as a teenager. We were room mates for 7 years from 1997 to 2004 and I used to tease him about that, and changing his diapers. lol
Those are so fun to watch and because they are "live action", even moreso. I also have some videos of family reunions and those are fun to watch too. They were sent to me because I wasn't able to be there and they are very long! I haven't watched any of them in a long time. Maybe this week. I have a cousin, 16 years younger than me, that I used to babysit as a teenager. We were room mates for 7 years from 1997 to 2004 and I used to tease him about that, and changing his diapers. lol
One of the things I like about the movies my grandmother did is they are not that long. At the big gatherings you might see 40 people in under 10 minutes. She walked the room so people are up close enough to recognize and kept the camera amazingly stable. She was an outstanding videographer before anyone knew there was such a thing.
More than picture albums I treasure the VHS tapes I have that my dad taped from the old 8MM movie camera we had when I was a kid. I LOVE seeing me again at age 16. lol They actually cover the years 1957 to 1995 so a lot of memories there. I need to check into having them put on a CD I think.
I meant to mention earlier that the ones I have were taken straight from 8mm to DVD. My wife has some that were taken using a modern video camera while people who knew who everyone in the films were watched then projected on a screen. the quality is still very good and it now has narration. If I don't add that to mine, they will become unknown in a generation. My kids have seen them enough to recognize my young parents and my grandparents and while many of the others are important to me, they really aren't to my kids.
Take pictures now as in twenty years these will be the old days, hopefully good and the twenty years after all good.
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