Well, it's been a hot day, but not as hot as other places, so no complaint here.

Aside from Bob's back going out, I have been ferreting through the first of 9 boxes of photos chronicling our lives.

It's hard to say bye to so many good shots, but one has to exercise real discernment over what to keep.

I can't help but think of those who never got a chance to grab their most prized possessions before a flood or earthquake or tornado.

I talk about us trying to minimize our stuff, but getting to that point is a lot of work. Emotional work.

If an earthquake hit our place, all the work I'm devoting to this effort will be squash. Kaput.

My goal is to scan/crop/save the best of the best. Time-consuming and tedious, I know. Maybe the logic is that an album of dvds full of life chronicled is easier to grab and save than 9 storage boxes full of memories.

Over and over, when reporters interview people who have undergone their losses, the question is: what do you wish you could have saved?

It's not the diamond ring or china. It's not the designer chair or sofa. It's a beloved pet and photos.

Once I've achieved the goal of recording images onto dvds, my "inventory" will have considerably shrunk, but again, getting there is a hardship.

Bye to an adorable smile by your child, who for the 1000th time, captured your heart in a Kodak moment.

Bye to one of a bizillion kisses someone is giving to someone else.

Bye to moments of true significance marking milestones.

But then, in each of our lives, aren't there a lot of those?

[deep S I G H . . .]

Comments:

Sylvia, my dear! You are a stronger person than I if you can find it in your heart to part with one single picture. One thing I did do for my girls was make each of them a scrapbook with all their cards, treasures, clippings, and many of my favorite pictures of them as they grew up. I presented it to them on their 21st birthdays along with their birth certificates and their baby books. It was a tremendous amount of work, but it certainly got rid of several boxes of memorabilia.

comment by redimpala on July 7, 2008 4:49 PM ()

Hm. Never looked at it as a measure of strength, but I love your idea of making your girls something as a special presentation. Don't know if our son would receive such a gift w/any comprehension of what went into the making of it.I suppose it's mothers who treasure these kinds of things. But thx for your great comment!

reply by november on July 7, 2008 7:05 PM ()

What an undertaking!! Kudos to you for having the energy to do it.

comment by looserobes on July 7, 2008 1:59 PM ()

reply by november on July 7, 2008 7:01 PM ()