My annual message to all of you.

I've created a tradition.  For a few years now, I've started every new year out sharing an important, heartfelt message with all of you.  A "new year goal" that I wish for all of you, but a goal you can work on any time of the year  ...  "Have prints made." 

Prints have become a dying breed for so many (myself included compared to 10 years ago), but they are so important.  10 years from now, and certainly 30-40 years from now, the technology we use to save and archive our digital picture files WILL CHANGE.  You can count on it.  Those discs, USB drives, yes, they will change and the pc you are on certainly will.  We cannot guarantee that we'll be able to access our images another 20, 40 years from now.  And where does that leave us?  Where does that leave the next one or two generations?  With no pictures of their loved ones.

Have prints made, friends!  Hang them on your wall, on a shelf display, on a table or dresser, put them in an album, or even simply put them in a photo storage box. Once a month or once a quarter, have your tangible prints made this year. Print them, share them, enjoy them, save them, pass them on to younger generations... You'll be so happy you did!  Especially if you have children or grandchildren; there is nothing like a picture to connect one generation to another.  Sometimes, that is all we have of our loved ones. 

And pictures are one of the first things we seek out when we’ve lost someone we love.  Between my family, and my husband's family, we lost five close family members last year.  You can bet that we were very thankful for all the photos we gathered and shared with one another along the way.  Those prints brought joy and laughter in a time of sorrow and grief, and they added a very tangible presence and connection while we celebrated their lives.

A couple years ago I also read an article about how having family photos out on display in your home boosts the self-confidence of children, and gives them a stronger sense of security and "belonging" when they could see their own photos, and their own family's photos, out on display in their homes.  If you have children, take a moment to share with them the story behind family photos on display in your home.  Watch their eyes light up, and a smile from deep within spread across their face.  You're giving them family legacy, grounded history, a real sense of roots and love.     

Do something about it this year.  For you and your family.

Melanie

xo

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