Why I Choose to Preserve Family Memories Outside Digital Storage

In today’s digital age, it’s tempting to store all our cherished family memories in the cloud, digital storage platforms or on hard drives.

I get it. With the convenience of smartphones and laptops, it’s so easy to capture and save countless photos and videos of our loved ones. However, as much as technology has revolutionized the way we document our lives, what happens when that technology fails?

That’s what happened to me. I journaled both of my pregnancies and the early years of my boys’ lives in a digital journal. It was easy and efficient. Until it wasn’t. Until the app developer issued updates that wiped out the contents of my journals TWICE.

I was able to recover the contents after a lengthy process with the customer service team but after it happened a second time, I decided I was done with solely relying on digital storage for my precious family memories.

These moments are irreplaceable. The distress it causes when they are lost is just not worth it. Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding how to store your precious family memories:

The Impermanence of Technology:

One of the primary reasons I prefer physical preservation over digital storage is the impermanence of technology. As I just mentioned above, digital platforms and devices are subject to malfunctions, viruses, updates and data corruption. Losing digital files due to technical issues or hardware failure can be heart-wrenching as I learned first hand, leaving behind a void of memories that cannot be recovered. By contrast, physical keepsakes, such as printed photographs and handwritten journal entries, are not susceptible to the same vulnerabilities, providing a sense of security and longevity.

Tangible Connections:

There is an irreplaceable joy in holding a physical photograph in your hands or flipping through a handwritten family journal. Physical mementos create a tangible connection to the past, allowing us to relive memories in a more intimate and emotional way. The physicality of these keepsakes creates a unique bond between generations, bridging the gap between the past and the present.

Nostalgia and Sentimentality:

The smell of an old photo album or the feeling of flipping through the pages of a well-worn family scrapbook can evoke powerful emotions of nostalgia and sentimentality. These hands-on experiences enrich our memories, making them more vivid and cherished. Digital storage may be convenient, but it lacks the tangible essence that makes preserving family memories an emotional and sentimental journey.

Passing Down a Legacy:

Physical keepsakes have the potential to become family heirlooms, passed down through generations. A handwritten letter from a grandparent or a photo album filled with cherished memories can become invaluable treasures, connecting descendants to their family’s history and traditions. Sharing these tangible artifacts is a beautiful way to preserve and celebrate our family’s legacy. Plus seeing your loved one’s words in their own handwriting is invaluable.

Creativity and Personalization:

Preserving family memories through physical means allows for creativity and personalization. Scrapbooking, journaling, or creating custom photo albums offer opportunities for artistic expression and individual touches. Each keepsake becomes a labor of love, a reflection of our unique family story. One that will be cherished for generations.

It is for these reasons I created my own line of family keepsake journals. The irreplaceable joy I feel writing these memories down for my family and seeing them sitting on my shelf knowing how much they will be appreciated is beyond measure.

By choosing to document our family memories in a physical way, we honor the power of human connection and celebrate the essence of our family’s history, ensuring that our most precious moments are preserved for generations to come.