Most of the time now we capture images on our smartphones, share them to social media and then just leave them on the internal storage and not really give them much thought. Instead of getting into this habit, I try and revisit past memories to trigger my brain into remembering it forever. You could find several creative ways to revitalize those memories so that they can be viewed more easily in your home. Gradually you might start to remember more of those happy memories. Here are ways to recapture your memories forever:
Real Photos Instead of Digital Ones
It seems quite nostalgic now to be able to hold printed photos in your hand as you flick through them and envision you are back in that particular memory. Your children are probably not used to seeing actual photos, given that we live in such a digital age. So as a family activity, particularly during this ongoing pandemic, you could retrieve any old photos from the attic/basement and reorganize them into pretty photo albums. You could recall stories of when you were younger that they have not heard before as you sift through the old photos. They might even get a better understanding of previous family members that they did not have a chance to meet. It also a good idea to print your photos you take now so that you don’t just forget about them in your camera roll.
Gone But Never Forgotten
Visiting your loved ones that are no longer here is another way to reminisce about happier times you shared with that person. As you stand gazing at their memorial, which you can adorn with cemetery grave lights and flowers, it might reignite past memories that you thought you had forgotten but are very much still present in the back of your mind. You can even share them with your kids. This reminds me of Dia de los Muertos, in which we clean our relatives’ graves and share stories, sing songs and add flowers and gifts to their gravesites.
Preserving Memories in a Journal
You could put together photos from your favorite occasion and write some text underneath each image in your journal along with any objects from that day, things like tickets from a show, jewelry or a keyring — anything that you have kept from that particular day. You could write what you remember from that specific day and why it is special to you as a memory. This will allow you to preserve those precious memories into a visual time capsule that would allow you to revisit whenever you want.
Design Your Own Artwork
Pick out a few favorite from your photos and create your own collage onto a blank canvas. Hang it up in one of the rooms in your home, like your office. It allows you to be reflective yet create something truly unique.
Another way of creating your own artwork would be to choose one particular family photo, find a website that prints off personalized canvases and have it printed. This will certainly be much more personal than buying a random image to decorate your home.
How do you recapture your memories from long ago?