Life moves by quickly; before you realize it, you have crossed many milestones. Then it all ends! The COVID-19 pandemic brought to reality the vanity of life. Many people slowed down and started appreciating family and things that truly matter.
Capturing memories is now very easy in this technology era where almost everyone has a high-quality gadget at their disposal. Unfortunately, you may still miss important moments and keep the wrong things. Preserving family memories may feel overwhelming and vital, but it is crucial for future generations and gives a sense of accomplishment. Here are some ways to preserve family memories.
Start with Old Home Movies
Old movies are a gem, but they deteriorate very quickly. You get an idea and feel of what life was like in the yesteryears. It is like taking a trip down to the older years with the simplicity of a good old story well told. In the right environment, DVDs and VHS tapes can preserve your precious content, like family movies, for years, but after a while, they deteriorate. That leaves your memories irretrievable.
Thanks to modern technology, you can now convert your super 8 movies into digital for the generations after to enjoy and play the content. Digitizing old films gives you some advantages, like the ability to turn them into frame-able stills. You can also store the content on a computer, directly convert the film to video, use a DVD recorder or record it again. Once you have the movies on a modern medium, you can create customized movies to play them on special occasions. Old family movies make significant memorabilia.
Journaling
Journaling is another great way of preserving family memories. Writing every day may sound like a lot of work in this fast-paced life, but there are simpler ways. There are user-friendly modern journals with voice prompts and beautiful art in the market today.
In this era of texting, many people use texts to communicate great milestones like birth announcements, job confirmations, and cute kids’ quotes, among many others. Consider getting a message book to pull your texts into a beautiful book rather than losing such memories in the void.
Imagine the feeling you get when reading an old letter from your late dad that you never got to meet or a great grandmother that everyone says you took after but never saw. Letters are precious and remain to be cherished memories from the old. Revive the practice by intentionally penning letters for your kids so they can read in the future. Seal each carefully and give timelines or days to read the letters when they are older.
Establish a Tradition
Family traditions are anything that a family does together, regularly and consistently. While they may appear simple, these practices unite family members and foster a great family bond. Many families continue traditions from their previous generations. While it may work, it is crucial to create your own as a family.
A tradition should focus on activities that strengthen family relationships among parents, siblings, and the whole extended family. In contrast to many people’s imagination, a family tradition does not have to be a costly or big event.
Family traditions are the footprints deeply etched in your hearts which cannot be erased. You can establish simple things like cooking together on certain days, serving dinner under the moonlight, or having lunch together on everyone’s birthday. By all means, seek to rekindle lost traditions, maintain the current, and start new ones. Feel free to discard all the traditions that you do not want. When forming family traditions, involve all members to maximize participation.
Preserve Memories on Photo Albums, Scrapbooks, and Picture Walls
Today, many people have thousands of photos captured for different events and people. While physical albums are considered outdated, printed photos remain one of the best ways to preserve family memories. Print a few images monthly and keep them in albums using different themes.
Another option is to have photos in a scrapbook format. You can use various tools to help you make the process seamless. Depending on your needs, you can choose the size of your scrapbook and the number of pictures.
If you have piles of photos collecting dust in your house, you can scan individual photos, print them, and frame them for the wall photo.
Video Recording
Videos have a way of bringing back moments. Capture precious moments to preserve family memories powerfully. Watching loved ones who have long gone on videos helps you connect in a special way. Imagine listening to their voice as you watch them in action.
Conclusion
It is time to clear clutter and better understand what is important to capture and retain. Even with the ways above, ensure you keep several backups in a different medium to preserve memories securely.
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