Recently a friend related the story of her successful efforts to reunite long-lost baby and childhood photos and toys with a family she didn't even know--all because she decided to check out an estate sale and rummage through drawers of a dresser. Upon receipt of these precious memories, the father called her and spoke emotionally of his family's overwhelming joy at viewing cute baby, toddler and youth pictures they had thought were lost forever.
It just so happens that I have been knee-deep in old photos I'm digitally preserving and restoring for my husband's family. These pictures of all six siblings had been in my mother-in-law's closets and drawers for years. After several years of my begging and pleading, she has finally relinquished these precious items in time for a special family reunion.
Suddenly, while listening to my friend's story, I realized I was the one reuniting our family with long-lost photos of cute babies, toddlers and teens. My husband remembers seeing only a handful of these treasures through the years. He has been so glad to see the old, yellowed, faded and torn pictures regain clarify, color and vibrance. They reunite him with his childhood memories. In a few weeks I'll watch his mother and siblings turn the pages of photo albums holding prints of these long-lost treasures.
I am a scrapbooker. I am a photographer. I love working with recent photos of my family and making pages they can enjoy. And now I have the ability to restore all those old photos my mom has given me. My children have asked about their childhood photos. I can restore those pictures as well. And thanks to my friend's experience, I realize the tremendous importance of spending time reuniting my family with all these precious treasures.
What family memories do our drawers and closets hold? What treasures can we restore to our loved ones? These treasures, as far as our family is concerned, are indeed lost to them...forever lost if we don't open those boxes and envelopes and start reuniting those special photos with those who will joyfully pour over them and relish in the sweet memories.
