Every picture tells a story

When we look at a photograph it can sometimes trigger a memory or emotion we may not expect. Often the story behind the photo can be much deeper than the surface level image of what we see.

Recently while running a Story Sharing circle at a retirement village I shared a story about this photo of my grandfather smiling up at my Dad.

It’s one of my favourite photos of him, simply because of that smile.

The story behind the photograph

You see it took quite a lot to make my Grandad smile, and we often referred to him as Grumpy Grandad.

As a young child, I remember being quite afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing when visiting him, as he could snap quite easily and switch into his grumpy persona. He never raised his hand to us, but he was often impatient and you were never sure how he would react at times.

But what I didn’t understand as a child, was that he had been dealing with post traumatic stress for many years of his life. He served in WWII and his ship was torpedoed 3 times. He lost many, many friends during those years, and suffered a great deal. Sadly, there was no mental health treatment offered in the post-war years so he had to manage as best he could, without professional help.

So, I love looking at the smiling man in this photo. This is how I want to remember him. And now that I understand more about the trauma he suffered, I can forgive his grumpy ways and accept him for who he was.

Do you have a photo in your old family photos that also tells a deeper story?

Take that photo, and record these 3 things:

♥️ WHO is in it

♥️ WHERE it was taken

♥️ WHAT it’s about (including what it means to you).

By recording the stories associated with old photos, we keep the memories and values of our family alive.

Do this simple exercise to get started

If you can find time to dig out one old photo a week, and write one paragraph about it, by the end of 6 weeks you’ll have enough material to start recording a life story video (either for your own memories or the memories of a special loved one).

So start small, but start now! Ask other family members to help – ask them what they remember about the photo and capture that too.

Book a call with Nicola

If you need help with getting started with recording your family stories and memories, I offer a free 30 minute call to help you identify key areas of your life to focus on, and tips to help get your life story underway. Here’s a link to book a time:

https://bookwithnicola.as.me