Mom was on the verge of throwing out her old slides.
“I just don’t know what’s on them, and I don’t know how to find out.”
So I gifted her my digitization box, and we sent the slides in.
What came back? Pictures of trips she took with my father. Pictures from a trip of her mother’s we didn’t even know existed. And a picture of me, my sister, and my father that I had never seen.
What’s the best sentimental gift for parents who have everything?
My father was wearing something in that picture. When my mother saw it, she burst into fits of giggles I hadn’t heard in years!
“Oh, those pants! He was so proud of those pants!”
Understand, I was born in the ’70s. The print on these pants was floral… yellow and floral and, well, unique. She told me he saw that fabric and said, “Wouldn’t this make a great pair of pants?”
She talked about all the effort he put into making a pattern when he didn’t have all the tools he needed. But he wanted to make the pants.
My father grew up on a farm where everybody learned to do everything: cook, clean, sew, crochet, and knit. Everybody learned how to change the oil, drive a tractor, bake a pie, slaughter a chicken. Everyone had the skills necessary for survival (and adventure).
So my dad wanted pants. But the tools he would have used at his parents’ place didn’t exist in their home: a young marriage with two small girls.
“He was so proud of those pants!”
She laughed deep from her belly, like they did before he moved to heaven. Only he could get that laugh from her. I just listened as her laughter warmed my heart.
My children need to hear that story, because it runs so consistent with the man they knew as Granddad.
What should I do with old slides?
If you have a few slides and think “they probably aren’t that important to see,” I invite you to reconsider.
On less than 50 slides, I saw a new memory my father had made with me, one I was too young to recall. I got a new story about it, consistent with the man he was.
I saw pictures of my grandmother and aunt on a vacation, visiting places I know were of interest to them. That’s significant, because I never saw either of them anywhere that wasn’t family focused: home, church, typical family gatherings. Now I see them as individuals with hobbies and interests, not only caregiving servants of their homes.
I saw trips my parents took before I was born. Places I’ve visited, but they were new memorials then and the trees and gardens are larger and more developed now; and the rest of time emphasizes their value to our nation. I was able to hear when they went and why and what it was like. I got to ask more questions and fill in gaps I didn’t know needed filling.
Film wasn’t cheap. Taking a picture meant it was worth recording.
I think it’s worth finding out why.
How do you digitize old slides?
We used a slide scanning service: FOREVER’s digitization box. Mom had just under 50 slides. Every 25 slides counts as 1 item, so we used a 2-item box.
Packing them up took about 10 to 15 minutes. I got an update when they were received, with an estimated completion date. (You can expedite the process for a small fee.)
The digitized slides landed in my FOREVER account. Within a week after that, the original slides were securely returned.
How do I share digitized slides with family?
Mom wanted the images to stay on my FOREVER account. So I sent her a link to view them whenever she wants. My sister has the same link.
No one has to keep track of a box. No one has to find the projector. Everyone can see them.
Digitization Box Holiday Edition: 50% off through October 31 with code SPOTLIGHT.
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