Today is my Dad’s birthday. He would have been 72. While I’ve gotten used to this day passing without seeing him or even celebrating, I still pause to think about him and how different life would be if he was still with us.
He passed away suddenly at the age of 47. I had just turned 18 and was in the first months of my Freshman year of college. This year marks 25 years without him.
Sometimes I think this is why I’m so passionate about preserving memories. I only had a few snapshots of him and very few photos of our whole family. As I started this process of organizing my photos and digitizing my older printed photos, I’ve had the opportunity to add photos from the libraries of my close friends and family. I love that we can now share photos instantly with loved ones regardless of geographical location. Unlike the times of printed photos, there’s no limit to the number of people we can share a precious photo with.
So, imagine my surprise when I was digitizing an old VHS home movie for some family friends and I stumbled upon a clip of my dad laughing while he drove our friends around the lake in the boat. I sat there mezmorized. I called my kids to come and see. They were all born after he passed so they never knew him or had ever heard his voice.
What joy this short clip brought me! I couldn’t help but wonder if any other friends or family members had videos to share. As I went through stacks of old home videos from my close family and friends, I’ve been able to “see” so many people who have long passed. It’s been a wonderful walk down memory lane.
When you’re cleaning out the closet or wondering what to do with YOUR old videos, please preserve them! You’d be surprised how priceless they are…