As a child, I can remember my mom looking through the old family photos and regaling us with stories of her life when she was young. The people, the places, the significant events. You remember smiling and laughing at the picture of, “that guy with the funny mustache!” Often when you’re young, these tales’ kind of go in one ear and out the other. It’s not until we are older that we take interest in preserving family history and want to hear these stories again and connect the dots from the stories to the images in the albums. Sadly, with my mom, we never had the opportunity to go through all the photos and make the connections. The identity of that mysterious mustached man in the old photo remains just that— a mystery.
If you are like many people I know, you probably have shoeboxes and envelopes full of old family photographs stuck in corners of closets or in bookshelves spread out around your home. Oh, there might even be some slide carousels and Super 8 home movies lurking about the house as well. Organizing these family treasures has likely been on your To-Do List for years! Every once in a blue moon, you catch a glimpse of them in those secret hiding places. You might even open them up and peek inside. You shuffle through the pile and pause. You smile, as you stumble upon the photo of “that guy with the funny mustache.”
Looking at the vast array of photos you think to yourself, “I must get around to sorting through these.” And then, that feeling of impending doom sets in as you realize the magnitude of the task that lies ahead. There could be hundreds, sometimes thousands of photos! It can be overwhelming! At this point, you have two choices. You can quickly stuff these family treasures back in the box and shove them once again into those dark crevices of your closet and then wait several more years to look at them again. Or, you can decide that now is the time to make a plan and let these important pieces of your family history see the light of day.
Preserving family history before catastrophe strikes.
Raleigh certainly gets its share of severe storms. When these major weather events hit and homes are destroyed, the aftermath is devastating. When you watch the news and see people sifting through the rubble or the flooded rooms, what are the first possessions they try to salvage? Often, its family photos. Making high resolution digital back-up copies of the most important images in your photo collection makes good sense and keeping a copy for safe keeping with another family member or friend increases the chance that they will survive in the event of a major weather event or fire.
The best time for organizing those old family photos.
As the old adage goes, “the best time to plant a tree was ten years ago. The second-best time is now.” The same goes for organizing your stash of old family photographs. Never has it been easier to collect these remnants of your past, restore them, organize them and create wonderful albums and displays to share with family and create cherished legacies for future generations. Turn that cluttered mess into beautiful, sharable gifts that can be passed to future generations and tell the story of your family.
From overwhelmed to organized.
These days there are so many tools to help get your photographs out of those old envelopes and into beautiful photobooks or frames. On-line services like Shutterfly, Mixbook, Picaboo, Snapfish and Mycanvas offer an incredible array of options to create themed albums and customized gifts from your photos. These services frequently offer incredible discounts that can save you some money too. It’s easy and fun once you learn the steps. Pickled Pixels located here in Raleigh can even create a DVD slideshow from your images. There are several local businesses that specialize in digitizing and restoring old photographs and home movies and they can also scan negatives and slides.
What if you could have help sorting through all your piles of family photographs? A coach to guide you through the process. It really doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Having a companion beside you can even make the activity more fun! A good friend of mine has this saying on her wall that reads, “By the yard, life is hard. By the inch, life’s a cinch!” Experts agree that the best way to tackle a photo organization project is to break it up into manageable chunks. There are proven organizing strategies and techniques that can be customized for the way that works best for you. Golden Harmony Concierge can show you how as part of our array of tailored services to enable independent living and a better quality of life. What is it like to work with a companion on a project like this? It’s fun and easy and rewarding.
The holidays are not far off. Now is the best time to dust off those old family photos, protect them for future generations. Turn those photographs into beautiful gifts that everyone will love and appreciate, and you can take pride in having accomplished a huge task toward preserving your family history.
Book a session with one of our companions and we can help you get started.
Preserve your family history. Get Started!
What if you could have help sorting through all your piles of family photographs? A coach to guide you through the process. It really doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Having a companion beside you can even make the activity more fun! A good friend of mine has this saying on her wall that reads, “By the yard, life is hard. By the inch, life’s a cinch!” Experts agree that the best way to tackle a photo organization project is to break it up into manageable chunks. There are proven organizing strategies and techniques that can be customized for the way that works best for you. Golden Harmony Concierge can show you how as part of our array of tailored services to enable independent living and a better quality of life. What is it like to work with a companion on a project like this? It’s fun and easy and rewarding.
Click the button below, fill out the form, and we will call you and arrange your first session with one of our incredible companions. Can’t wait to get started? Call us now at 919-426-7522 and partner with one of the top providers of companion care in Raleigh, NC and the surrounding area.