This is a guest contribution from Cathi Nelson, founder of The Association of Personal Photo Organizers.
How often do you take the time to go on a treasure hunt in your own attic or basement? If you or your family has lived in the same home more than 30 years, you most likely have priceless possessions gathering dust somewhere. Those treasures include family photos, albums, letters, slides, home movies, children’s artwork and report cards and each is a testament to your unique family story.
Recently I heard a quote that got me thinking,
If you don’t talk to your grandmother and she passes away it is like a library burned down.
Where were all those family photos of my childhood? Was it possible that the only photos ever taken were the few I had seen repeatedly? My father was slowly losing his memories and I knew I only had a limited amount of time before it would be too late to ask the questions I needed to know. Therefore, I sent out on a mission to find the lost photos and memorabilia of my childhood. Sure enough in my parents attic I discovered five fading, yellow Kodak boxes of slide carousels filled with kodachrome slides. I sent them off to be scanned and once returned I discovered twenty years of family vacations, Christmases and holidays lost in time. I marveled at how young my parents were. The cars they drove and the outfits we wore. For Christmas, I created a timeless gift, a digital photo book and surprised my sister, brother and parents with an album full of photos no one had seen in decades. My mother cried as she saw photos of her mother, my grandmother who had passed away before I ever knew her.
If you are missing a link to your family stories, I highly recommend taking the time to discover those priceless memories. Don’t let your family photos languish in basements and attics. Saturday September 26th 2015, is International Save Your Photos Day, use this day as an incentive to begin embarking on this important, meaningful journey into your past. You will never regret it.
Pioneer of the Photo-Life Management Industry, Cathi Nelson is the founder of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO), an association that trains individuals who specialize in helping consumers and businesses rescue their irreplaceable film and digital photos, organizing them in a way that makes it simple to share their memories, lives and traditions. Since its inception, APPO has grown to include hundreds of members throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom.
Where are some places that you have found treasured memories? Share with us in the comments. We’d love to hear your stories!