Those Old Family Photos

Roger called me to help him to “finally deal with his old photos.” He was moving to a smaller home, and didn’t have room to store them all. Feeling overwhelmed, he said, “I’m not getting any younger. I should have done it with my wife, but she died two years ago.” His greatest worry, though, seemed to be what service or technology to use to preserve them.

I said, “Roger, worrying about how to preserve your photos distracts you from what really needs to be done: deciding which pictures you want preserved.”

“I see what you mean,” Roger said, “And with you, I’ll make the time and won’t get stuck going down memory lane.” I assured him that clutter-clearing can be enjoyable, and much easier when you learn how and not alone. I suggested that he invite some relatives over in about a month to help identify people or places in some of the pictures.

“Good idea,” said Roger. We hadn’t even started, yet Roger already felt better.  

After years of worry, he cleared out over half of his photos in just a few weeks. His favorites were identified, and organized by category in secure boxes. He had put several aside for his cousins who were coming over for a fun weekend of telling stories and photo-sharing.

By sharing his photos and stories,  Roger’s memories would not be lost. He could let go without any regret.

Many people worry about old photos fading away, but feel too busy or overwhelmed. Just getting old photos into climate-proof boxes is a good step, but the relief is short-lived. If you don’t identify your photos, their value is lost forever.

Because we’re inside more, the winter is the perfect season to go through your old photos. Copies make wonderful holiday gifts, too!  If you start now, you can take care of your photos, reduce your holiday shopping, and not carry this worry into the New Year.

Like Roger, you too can get relief and enjoy the photo clearing process. Contact me soon. Winter is fast approaching. 978-897-1222 or Laura@ClutterClarity.com.