Remember When

I remember asking for a camera for my eighteenth birthday and I was so excited to use it at the next big event in my life.  Back then, film was rather pricey. Actually, it probably still is, but I haven't purchased any film in more than eight years.

I'm in my early 30s, but I remember only taking photos for special occasions:  birthdays, holidays, graduations and vacations. Taking photos has become a part of everyday life.  It seems that everyone with a camera phone snaps photos of just about anything -- food, landscapes, new outfits and the 2013 Word of the Year:  selfie.

I'm guessing the average smart phone user has more than 500 photos stored on their phone. I know at one point I had close to 700 and had to start deleting them because my phone was nearly maxed out on memory.  Do I really need photos of the meal I ate at a restaurant SIX months ago?

This morning my mother-in-law sent me an email requesting me to send a digital copy of a specific photo that had a time stamp from 2/10/11 1440.  She needed photos for a work event she has next week so she can display photos of her hero in uniform (her son).  Apparently, I emailed said photo to her in November 2011, with the caption "Happy Veterans Day!"

Thanks to my Type A tendencies -- every photo I own goes into it's rightful folder in a online photo website.  I found the photo immediately, downloaded it and then proceeded to browse for a few more to send.  Before I knew it, I had tears flowing down my face.  I've been with this man for 10.5 years and we have so many wonderful memories.  These photos are like looking into my soul.  They truly represent how happy we have been these past 10.5 years.

The flood of emotions really started when I saw a photo of Seth and I with our best friends at the airport on February 8, 2012.  That was a day I'll never forget.  A couple weeks prior to that date, my girlfriends and I got together to make "Welcome Home" T-shirts with puffy paint and I ordered a welcome banner as well.  I still remember the excitement I felt knowing I would be welcoming home my husband after his deployment.  


After emailing my mother-in-law the time-stamped photo and a few more that brought back memories, Seth arrived home from this therapy appointment.  He looked at my red, blotchy face and he asked what was wrong and why I had been crying.  My reply: "I was just reminiscing about the good times we've had together."  :)

I know we're all guilty of snapping a dozen or more photos no matter the occasion, but maybe you'll question yourself the next time you pick up your phone and switch it to camera mode.
When I look at this photo years from now, will it bring me back to that exact moment and the emotions I felt?





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