We are saying goodbye to friends that have been here for three years. Schooling is done and it’s time for them to return home. For our boys it’s hard to lose a friend. Having a photo of their buddy is helpful. Being able to see the person, especially a picture of the two of you together, doing something you both enjoyed helps keep your friend close. It’s why we send photos to grandparents that are a thousand miles away.
Sharing photos at the end of school is such a strong tradition, especially for seniors who will be leaving and going their separate ways. In my work of organizing, I’ve seen more than one client have the senior photo of their best friend from high school or college with a note on the back. They may not look at it often, but knowing it is there helps keep them connected when they do pull out the picture.
Soldiers going off to war, or just on tour of duty that will take them far from family will hold photos close. It’s also why the family wants that last picture of their soldier leaving. I heard a story of a mother who was seeing her son off and had a new digital camera. She hadn’t had the camera long and it was when the first digital cameras were coming out. The wrong button was pushed and all the images were erased. She was heartbroken.
At funerals and memorial services the photos of a person’s life help those grieving to remember their loved one as they lived. Even years later looking at pictures can bring back that memory and all the emotions of the moment. My family recently digitized the 8mm film my father had taken, and when I saw my grandmother and great grandmother, it was like I was transported back to that moment and all the wonderful memories I have of them all rolled into one.
Who do you give pictures to? Who do you display pictures of in your home?
