I was with my parents this past weekend to celebrate Father’s Day and it was just too hot to go anywhere. We were in Palm Springs and it was 111.
Me, being unable to sit still, came up with a great idea (if I do say so myself). I asked them to go through the box (okay boxes) of family photos. Thankfully they agreed!
At the end of the day, or the weekend as the case may be, I can honestly say that we had a lot of fun going down memory lane, trying to figure out who certain people were, texting photos to other family members to help us figure it out. There were lots of laughs and lots of stories. I’ve heard most of them before but, there were also some new ones. The old and new were both fun to hear (yes…again)
Of course, there was some downsizing involved as well. I’m sure that they knew this was going to happen as that is something that occurs whenever I’m involved but, they didn’t resist. We got rid of all the photos of lone trees, the hundreds of pictures of beaches and sunsets that nobody remembered as there was nobody was in the photos. Then there’s the duplicates, the faded photos that nobody was able to see anymore, the ones that were so ripped from years of scotch tape being used on them and those of trips our grandparents took that we really didn’t need. We kept some of those which included them or them and their friends but, mostly, we threw those away.
At the end of the day, we got rid of a box of photos that nobody is going to miss EVER. We kept the crem de la crem and got rid of the rest.
We spent a good part of one day hanging out, laughing, reminiscing, hearing stories both old and new (to me) and we got stuff done. I’m all about getting stuff done. It feels good when I’m productive.
I would HIGHLY recommend getting stuff done when you visit your parent(s) next time. Go through photos, collections from your ancestors that are packed up and have been stored in the garage or attic. If you’re a woman maybe Mom would be willing to sift through her jewelry. If you’re a guy, maybe Dad would be willing to go through his sports memorabilia. Whatever it is, trust me… it’s a win-win! It’s an amazing way to bond with those you love (and, of course, get stuff done).