This Christmas when we gathered around Mother for pictures, it was probably the 50th year I have taken pictures. Then I handed Mother the camera and had her take pictures of my family and that was probably 75 years she has been taking pictures.
Mother has pictures she took when she was young, in the 1930s, of her family. They all loved to take pictures. At every family reunion, there were at least 4 people taking photos–uncle Cecil with his 8mm movie camera, and others with their Kodaks.
The first memory I have of taking pictures is using a Kodak Brownie that belonged to Mother, so I must have absorbed that desire from her. She even took the film to have it developed and printed which made me feel so grown-up.
Of course, I have also had many photos taken by professional photographers, because some occasions just require it. I have never regretted all the money I have spent on photos. If my house were on fire, the first thing I would save would be all my negatives and CDs with photos saved on them, full of a lifetime of memories.
I have worn out more cameras in my lifetime than most people ever own. The Polaroid camera–how exciting to see the picture develop right before our very eyes. The Kodak Hawkeye Instamatic camera in the 60s–a fraction of the cost of 35mm cameras the serious photographers owned. True point and click. The Kodak Disc camera came out in the 70s–the film was developed on a little circular card.
When I bought my first digital camera, I was in “camera heaven.” I could take a photo and see it instantly. I could print out as many as I wanted in whatever size I wanted, delete the bad photos, and edit others.
God is saving His memories of us on heaven’s “film,” recording all the precious times we have spent with Him and His family. He has my name stored in the Lamb’s Book of Life. When life in this old world is over, all those memories will still be preserved.
Rev. 20:12 KJV “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
Nothing can take away the memories that God has preserved.
I very much enjoy your columns in the Vinita paper. I am not a Christian, but was raised a Lutheran, followed other beliefs and now am seeking something. I would like to reconnect to a faith, as I find solace in your views, but then I will come across other views of Christianity that I can not in my heart sustain. Do others feel as I? Where do we turn with out being judged or critisised in the journey? Thank You.
Oh Lavon, taking photos of our trips truly Treasures, Ed is the camera buff, he Loves doing that, when we would come home from our trip, quickly get them deveoloped and organize all the photos in the album, such a piece of work and history to us. He tells me ONE DAY, when we can’t travel anymore, we can sit around, decide what trip to take walking through our Photo Albums! lol Making those Memories in life are the Best, so Happy you enjoy Photos, although they have now discontinued our Kodachrome, making us going Digital.
Love Your Jewels….Golden Buddy, Sharon