Have you looked back on photographs you took in the park early in your relationship, or that especially beautiful summer day when your child was only a few weeks old? Or that very first Christmas with your new family? You know, those moments you thought you would never forget. Never.
I came across those photographs recently. “Wow!! I completely forgot about that!” was all my husband and I could say. We thought we would always have those images in our heads ready to access any time we like. That silly 9-month-old grin, the first day of school, first self-produced hair-cut, the best castle a 2-year-old ever made out of blocks, the age milestones. The problem is that without the visual prompt, we were not enjoying those moments. Without seeing those images, they were lost for us.
It comes down to the age-old question… is a memory really a memory if you don’t remember it? I wonder. And, to complicate the question, is it really a memory if you never recall it with a visual cue? Hmmmm.
These days, more and more people want digital files of professional portrait sessions, while at the same time fewer and fewer people are having prints made from them. So, those who want to “save money” and buy digital files are statistically saving money but sacrificing memories. As you file away your memories this year, consider adding visual cues to your surroundings. And even better, surround yourself with high-qualty representations of those memories. But either way, don’t let your memories crash with a hard drive or get lost in the darkness of a drawer or closet. Re-invite those memories into your life as often as possible.
A Moment Captured... by Cindy Strickland 