The Beauty Of Capturing Memories

I cannot help but fall in love with the process of looking at the beautiful pictures that were captured of my life throughout the years. I treasure them beyond measure. There is magic in freezing a moment in time that was special to you and being able to later retrieve it and see the visuals and remember what that moment felt like.

Pictures keep track of the phases of your life and they can say so much about what you might have forgotten. They are like your back-up memory. They are your story. Whenever I feel down, for instance, and can’t seem to get out of my gloomy mind, I fetch my albums and use pictures to remind me of the good times and of my progress and how there are so many other shades to my experience here. The thing I like about pictures is that they show you all the tiny details, like how bright your smile was, or how the sun was shining at the tip of your nose, or how your friend gently placed their hand on your shoulder on a certain day. When I look at them every once in a while, I notice how they heal me, uplift me, and fill my being with warmth, meaning, and gratitude. Most importantly, they remind me that life is ever-changing and so are we.

You really do see more when you capture a moment through the lens of your camera. You give your eyes that extra time for appreciation and get to always have that later on.

One day, during my visit home from abroad, my mother showed me all the albums that contained pictures of my childhood. I was in awe at the fact that my parents had taken me with them on so many of their travels and how happy I looked. I was getting to know what my life was like as a child. All my expressions, my outfits, my parents’ love for each other. The thing is, I really didn’t even remember most of it. I was getting to know my life, as well as my parents’, through the pictures, and what I saw made me really happy.

From that moment on, I learned the real value of pictures and how they document so much. I learned the value of the sweet moments that pass before we even realize. I took more pictures of the people I loved, the sceneries that pleased my eyes, and the moments that were truly touching. Every once in a while, I look at them, and by doing that, I gain perspective, I connect the dots and I keep looking forward to life and all the stories I have yet to live and relive.