alzheimer’s and protecting memories.
I got sent a box. a 23 pound box busting at the seems with memories and documents that I had never seen in my life - only glimpses of my imagination getting pieced together as I continue to sift through my own childhood.
My mom has Alzheimer’s & it fucking sucks. If you have a loved one suffering from this disease, I am so sorry. My heart goes out to you. And my email is open if you need a chat. We really can’t be doing this alone.
1996 - Brothers in the background.
My mom’s artistic abilities and gift of holding onto memories has fed the passion for my photography. In the end, photos and other tangible sentimentals are all we have left after our ancestors have made their way to the other side.
This is not an article about how photos can instill memory for the Alzheimers or dementia patient. this is for the loved ones on the sideline watching the memory of their beloved burn to ash with a only a photo to remember them by. This is for the ones with more questions than answers.
The truth is, We don’t get to choose if we will draw the short stick and get diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia at the age of 55. My mom didn’t. She’s actually very much alive.
My mom was a photographer. She never said that but she was. An artist at her core. She had a way of capturing my childhood that makes me look back on it with rose colored glasses at how joyful and beautiful she saw each of us kiddos. I am forever thankful to her for capturing my childhood on film in the 90’s. ON FILM YOU GUYS, there’s no excuse anymore.
I love the bringing printed photos that she used to make at Target to my mom when I visit her. Her face lights up and her mouth gets big as if she’s saying “I remember that!” “I know her!”
make memories tangible.
From slide film negatives, to a filled-out planner from 2002, post cards, and of course photos. my mom kept. it. all. I meant it when I said this box was busting at the seems.
We are tempted to take a photo of our childrens art and throw it away. take a photo, and keep it on our phone. i am guilty too. have you ever had a phone just…die on you? photos gone forever? me too.
I am a single mother to an only child. Preserving photos, letters, art, etc is very important to me. I’d love to share with you how I have held onto keepsakes. I am not expert, just a heart for the matter.
my dear friend, Sarah, with her kid’s drawings on her arm.
Artwork: Slap one on the fridge or keep a 2” binder with sheet protectors like this in a very accessible spot. when my daughter brings home artwork - I put it into a sheet protector in the binder and put it away. We pull it out every now ad again to reminisce. She now has her artwork forever. Frame it. Its art - it’s made for your bare walls. Your kiddo will feel so proud, too. Tattoos are also a great way of displaying your kids art…just sayin!
Cards & notes: I have a box dedicated for this. Toss in a box, easy. Go through on a rainy day or when you are feeling down. Sometimes I like to cut em up and make collages out of them too, new life! :)
Flowers: I know, I know. But, when I was 24, I got my first apartment with my teeny one-year old in Dana Point, California. It was just us two against the world. I was new to this mom thing and had no money, only our love for each other. I even made a video of our Laundry Days. It’s a very special apartment to me. Since, we had to move. On our way out with my last box in my hand, my neighbor handed me a rose from his garden. I pressed the rose and hung it up in my house.
Photos: MILLIONS OF OPTIONS HERE & I think that’s why we get so overwhelmed. Too many photos & too many options. Baby steps.
Have you ever walked through someone’s house with and they have photos everywhere. Aren’t you intrigued? Wanna ask questions? Inspired?
Assuming you have already printed your photos…
1. HANG THOSE BABIES UP! We want to see them.
2. Create your own reel viewer - keep it on the coffee table for guests to play with as you prepare them some coffee.
3. Another 2” binder with photo sleeves! A lovely amazon list here of everything you will need to organize your photos. This is an easy way to get the photos off your phone and into your hands.
5. Photo books/Scrapbooks. You can even add that concert ticket, plane ticket, or the “First Day at Disneyland” Pin.
Take it one step further and put it all in a fireproof safe.
The point is, there are so many options to keeping your memories tangible. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
create moments
cherish time
KEEP MEMORIES ALIVE!
I want you to know that your photos matter. That little note your daughter gave you after school that says “you make me shine”. that’s a keeper.
In hope you leave feeling enlightened and inspired. Please feel free to share your thoughts below <3 