Life passes us by just with a blink of an eye. Our tomorrow’s are not guaranteed. Heart attacks, strokes, car accidents, and now Covid…are just a few of the various things can take a person away, changing so many lives unexpectedly. People grow up and apart as life has us all so busy in trying to keep up, leaving one another behind. So, we have one thing that we can look back on to remind us of better days that are now behind. Memories.
Memories are a way to look back at time and never forget the closeness we once had with those that meant so much to us during that season or period of time. Memories can be captured in so many ways. So, what is holding you back from capturing the time that you have been blessed with, with those who are valuable to you and still present in your life?
The question isn’t whether or not the day will come, but WHEN the day comes that you are no longer able to see someone you love so deeply, who impacted your life so tremendously, you will want something to remember their voice again, their being. You will want to remember what they looked like as their image in your head will begin to fade with time, slowly. One day if you are lucky, you will wake up older and will want to take a look back at moments that occurred in your life. These things that keep the memories alive are what will lighten your heart again.
Here are 6 Different Ways to Capture Memories
Take Too Many Pictures
So many have become shy around cameras, but little do we realize that those are the things that family and friends will be left with when we are no longer around. Not only that, but as I mentioned above, we become so consumed with the responsibilities in our lives that time passes us by. A picture is only a moment in which time is still, but tells a story that is kept within our hearts. Take those pictures and have something to look back on with a smile.
Video Recordings
When you see your parents dancing or your siblings acting silly, take the opportunity to make it a lasting memory. To laugh back at or just remember the simpler times. There have been so many times where my family and I pull out old video recordings from many years back and are just so grateful that someone captured that moment. When there are times that some people can’t be around family, such as today because of covid, that is when these recording will warm the heart. These recordings will rush you back to some wonderful memories that you forgot even happened.
Take Advantage of Voice Recordings
Thanks to Build-A-Bear, we can now record our own voices into teddy bears. These gifts do not have to be particularly for children, but husbands/wives, parents, friends, and your brother/ sister will also treasure these bears with great sentiment. Many times when someone passes away we often, not purposely, forget the sound of their voice. Even keeping a voicemail of a simple, “Hey, its me. Call me back.” is special. Oh, how so many wish they can hear the voice of a parent or spouse who has passed away.
Make Clay Hand Molds
These were a big hit a few years back and I never really thought about how special these clay molds are. They tell about a time when your child was small and could barely stand on their own. Years later, it will drift you back to memories of how their tiny fingers held onto yours as they slept. This can be done with an elderly Mother and her adult daughter holding hands. Time is precious and doesn’t keep those we love around for very long. An anniversary memory with Husband and wife clinging hands. Clay hand molds are such an amazing way to make a lasting memory.
Write Letters
Letters express feelings and emotions that we once forgot others had for us or we had for them. Many times a letter to ourselves is just as an important memory as the one to a loved one. These are great memories to have, because they shed light on the exact thoughts you once had. Our thoughts, there are millions, but when we write them in a letter that is one thought that we can actually remember. Not too long ago my sister pulled out a letter from my niece from 10 years ago, and though it took us so long for us to figure out what she had written (She had just learned to spell, haha), it reminded me of the phases she was going through at that time in her young age. Her message to me was, “I need Superman and Robin to beat up bad guys and save the universe.” At that time, she was into superheroes and I remember I always pretended to be Robin and her Superman. Letters are just as meaningful as pictures just processed differently.
A Valuable Object
When we think of something valuable we think about shirts, jewelry, gifts. But, that’s not so much what I am talking about when I say valuable objects. Though the ladder are also great things to keep and cherish. What I mean, however, are movie tickets from your first date. A flower you picked from the ground when you were on vacation with family. Perhaps even a cup from a football game you took your dad to for his birthday. You can add these into a memory scrapbook that you can look back on years down the road and share with your grandkids.
Capturing the Moment
No matter what it is you are doing or with who, there are always ways to make memories from that day with that person. We don’t have forever and as I mentioned, these are the things we are left with as time passes. I have kept so many things from my school years and though some of those friends and I have lost contact or have just moved on with life in a different direction, it is still nice to look through them and remember the times we all had together. The way to making memories is putting your pride and shyness aside and capturing the moment, in the moment. You won’t regret taking that picture or recording, but you will regret not having it when there is nothing else to look back on. Cherish the time you have and make memories. Every moment can be a memory.
