Memorial Day is a day of remembrance that can quickly lose its purpose unless we are intentional. Rather than being a day of honoring fallen heroes, it can become just another holiday.
So it is with our special memories in our own homes. Each family has its own unique days where they honor one another or family events—anniversaries, birthdays, and special landmark moments in their own family history. But unless those memories are stewarded, the significance of those moments can be forgotten.
You might not be a crafty person and the thought of keeping track of mementos might take the fun out of the prospect of stewarding memories, but there are a lot of ways to steward memories you have made that don't require you to be crafty. Here are several considerations and ideas as you steward your memories.
TOOLS
There are many tools that are available to use and many are free.
- Smartphones offer so much today in creating pictures and videos on the spot.
- Software applications for creating movies or albums (iMovie, Movie Maker).
- Websites for storing photo or video memories (Google Photos, iCloud).
- Websites for creating physical photo albums (Wal-Mart, Shutterfly, Snapbook, Mixbook).
CREATIVE OPTIONS!
Keep a journal of memories.
Create journals on a photo website (like Walmart photo center) with favorite family pictures and write in the journal when you go on special vacations.
Utilize a website for photo storage.
Google Photos is one such website that has a minimal cost and unlimited storage. You can create folders and drop photos in there. You can also create videos from photos utilizing the Photos app on a Mac that can be turned into a video with a click. Share these videos on the photo-sharing website, too.
Create videos.
Smartphones make it easy to create videos. Drop these videos into the photo storage website or place them in a video app and combine videos from a vacation. Add a little background music for fun.
Create photo albums on photo websites.
You can either organize them chronologically or just have the photo website place the pictures in the book in random order.
Narrated Reminiscing.
There are websites for creating narrated vignettes that are stored for future generations to hear your voice along with the memories you share. Here are 5 places that offer this service.
As we embark on a summer full of possibilities, don't forget to pause and steward the moments you are in. You and future generations will be glad you did! Perhaps even this Memorial Day you can savor the moments you are having and be intentional to remember those who have gone before us, as well.
Yours for Wise Stewardship,
Jeff Rogers