Friday, August 8, 2008

A Picture without a Thousand Words, or even One?

It's been a month now since my sister's funeral, plus 2 days. I've been going through some old photos that she had. Obviously, this is long before digital so I don't have any to post today, I'll have to scan them first.


We humans have a tendency to accumulate "stuff" for a multitude of reasons. But photos are by far the strangest. My sister has an album that I've gone through today, and only a few of the photos are ones I can identify. They are of family and family events, like Christmas, weddings, birthdays. Many are from parades, the Milwaukee County Zoo and places she visited. Here's the thing, none are labeled. No names; not for the people or the places pictured. What do I do with these unidentified, and unknowable pictures?

Did you ever think about what happens to someone's pictures after they've passed on?

I know I have a few albums from my travels around the country. Most of the albums have an index, albeit a brief one, so that I can remember the sequence of my trips. But when I go, who will look at them again? I like to look at them now and again. It helps me remember the places I've seen. It's a way of capturing a special memory, to visit again and again.

The cool thing about the photos I do know, made me very happy. There are some of my dad, and my grandma on her second wedding day. There are some from my brother's wedding. There is one of my sister, my brother and me on his wedding day; so we are all dressed up, skinny and a lot younger! I pulled those out, I'll frame them so I can see them everyday.

Those pictures brought back some wonderful memories for me, and I'm sure for her. But we were a part of that event. The other pictures may have been wonderful for her, but they are hers alone in eternity now. Unless you've labeled the pictures and the people in them, those memories will disappear the moment you do.


So, I have some labeling to do, catch ya later!