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scrapmingo
PeaAddict
PeaNut 173,756
October 2004
Posts: 1,918
Layouts: 18
Loc: Maine
 |  Posted: 11/28/2012 8:27:20 AM
We lost my grandmother several weeks ago at the age of 93. As my family has been preparing her memorial service, it turns out I am the only one who photographed her over the past 13 years as she slowly slid into alzheimers. On her 90th birthday, I convinced her to actually let me capture a portrait of her. My children, in dealing with their grief, are both clinging to that picture of their GGma.
Several years ago, we moved my grandmothers stuff from her home. I took home a damaged photo album to try to rescue the photos. I started the scrapbook but as photography took more of my time, it fell by the wayside. Over the past two day, my DD (13) and DS (8) and I have been sorting, labeling and creating like crazy. My plan is to have the book done for the memorial service this Saturday. As I tell my kids the stories that go with the photos ("yes, your grandfather really did have hair once!" and "That is the cousin who stuck his head in a freezer full of rotten squid. It was the best day ever." and hearing their observations ("I really do look like you mom." and "I see where nana gets her habit of photographing people eating from" I am reminded of how important photographs are. I am not talking just formal photos in a field with a pretty chair. I am talking about bobby and suzie in their pajamas on christmas morning, Jane, running around the yard in a crazy outfit chasing the dog, Steve on a ladder finishing the addition. The real life stuff.
I realized my kids exist pretty much only on computers and hard drives. I am reminded that 2013 is the year I spend a ton of money and get photos printed and into albums. They don't have to be pretty. They don't have to be done up with paper, stickers and be just so. They just need to be there, so my kids can see where they came from and can show their kids that yes, grandpa used to have hair.
So this is my really long way of reminding you to take the camera out. Download the pictures, even the cell phone ones. Get them printed, talk about them, show them off. Don't wait for the perfect haircut, the perfect weight, or the special occasion. Turns out, none of that matters. What matters is being able to see what now looks like in 10 years. What matters is now.
Alison |
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brab74
PeaFixture
PeaNut 455,916
February 2010
Posts: 3,629
Layouts: 15
Loc: Central Illinois
 | Posted: 11/28/2012 8:44:27 AM
I am so sorry about your grandmother. It sounds like she had a wonderful life.
I realized my kids exist pretty much only on computers and hard drives. I am reminded that 2013 is the year I spend a ton of money and get photos printed and into albums. They don't have to be pretty. They don't have to be done up with paper, stickers and be just so. They just need to be there, so my kids can see where they came from and can show their kids that yes, grandpa used to have hair.
So this is my really long way of reminding you to take the camera out. Download the pictures, even the cell phone ones. Get them printed, talk about them, show them off. Don't wait for the perfect haircut, the perfect weight, or the special occasion. Turns out, none of that matters. What matters is being able to see what now looks like in 10 years. What matters is now.
Well said. | |
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Gina_MI
PeaAddict
PeaNut 61,475
January 2003
Posts: 1,377
Layouts: 7
Loc: Michigan
 | Posted: 11/28/2012 11:58:32 AM
What a wonderful way to honor your grandmother's memory. Thanks for the important reminder and I'm very sorry for your loss. |
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LemonaideLinda
PeaNut
PeaNut 221,255
August 2005
Posts: 222
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 11/28/2012 5:04:07 PM
My condolences on the death of your grandmother.
You make a good point and it made me stop and think. | |
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bendedroad
Nicki
PeaNut 405,632
January 2009
Posts: 6,713
Layouts: 111
Loc: West Virginia
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omarakbt
AncestralPea
PeaNut 302,707
March 2007
Posts: 4,601
Layouts: 22
Loc: california
 | Posted: 12/1/2012 3:36:07 PM
I'm sorry for the loss of our grandmother but happy that you have all the photos to go through and to share with others
This last year I also had the power of photographs brought home to me. One of my nephews was killed in an auto accident. I had taken photos whenever we were at a family gathering. I was able to quickly put together a collage to print for his memorial service. More, his mom through some bad personal choices had missed being with him for several years of his life. I uploaded all the photos I had of her boys to a share site where she could get all the available photos of her son. I opened the site to family so that anyone that had photos could put them in one place, access all that the family had.
I have tons of unprinted photos as well and drawers of printed ones that need to get into albums. Always a good reminder |
Diane
and the Kerry Blue Terriers
canon rebel DSLR
18-55 canon lens, 55-200 sigma lens
Lumix ZS7
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/graphics/badges/pa_2.gif | |
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ScrapbookWonderland
PeaNut
PeaNut 574,087
December 2012
Posts: 12
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 12/7/2012 12:35:10 AM
So sorry to hear about your grandmother. Thanks for the great reminder about the importance of our photos.
Christmas can be a hard one to scrapbook. We often expect perfection in our photos and make excuses not to scrapbook the imperfect ones.
I love how scrapbooking takes the photos and marries them to the stories. Without stories a scrapbook is merely a pretty photo album.
If you'd like inspiration on the photos to take this Christmas, there is a free download of 25 Ways to Capture the Magic at scrapbookwonderland.com
Hope this helps! | |
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