Gratitude Day 27: Family photos

 I was digging around in the corners of bookcases, old files, and boxes last night in hope of locating my favorite cheesecake recipe. I did not find the recipe but I located many other "lost" things, including a sizable stash of family photos. I had removed these photos from their acid-laden toxic albums, protected them with archival papers, and slipped them into protective sleeves for safe-keeping. I promptly forgot where they were, but they were "safe."

When mother passed away in August I was encouraged to gather photos for a video to be shown during the viewing. Knowing my mother wouldn't like such a display and not having the time nor energy to locate the photos, scan the slides, and give them to the funeral director in a few short days, I didn't do it. I had a few weeks more to gather images to be turned into a photobook, a part of the "package" they assured me, but I just couldn't deal with it. The old photos remained in their scattered locations in the house.


It was a poignant moment on the eve of Thanksgiving when I found the "lost" album and numerous photos from my parents' wedding, my childhood, and that of my siblings. My favorite family photos, all gathered into one place, many in need of restoration, all needing to be scanned, digitized, captioned, and saved for generations to come. I now possess countless photos that belonged to my grandparents, many with no names, dates, or locations. These are my relatives, my ancestors, but I don't know who they all are. The task to identify and label them all is simply overwhelming, but I can start with the photos I love most and go from there. I will have plenty of archiving to do.

I'm grateful I was blessed with a love for family history, family stories, and photography. My mother left me a great legacy to carry on and I hope I can do my best to honor her. God placed me in a special family and I'm a very, very grateful. Happy Thanksgiving!



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