Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, people used to print images, and stick them to sticky papers with clingy clear covers. They stored these pages in large oversized books so that when you opened them you could flip though each page and see the worn and faded images of memories. If you happen across one of these large books, you can rub your finger vigorously over the front cover to release the dust and grime. If you scrub hard enough and squint, then you may reveal the words “Photo Album”.

Maybe they aren’t as ancient as I pretend for them to be, but when was the last time you printed an image and stuck it to a sticky paper covered with a clingy clear film? Photo albums have gone out of style, ever since we were able to carry these memories in our pocket. With smartphones, Facebook, Instagram, Drobox, and the Cloud, we no longer need to print these images to preserve them.

It’s wonderful, and sad, all at the same time, although we have instant access to our images, we also often delete the old ones as out storage limits becomes full, which means there are pictures that have been lost forever. What year did you get your first smartphone? Do you have any pictures from that year?

One day, my mam was cleaning, and she opened up a cabinet underneath the coffee table, She asked me to start pulling things out (every child’s dream!) and I sat there amazed as the pile of photo albums around me grew larger and larger, She became engrossed in other things, and I reached over and gingerly flipped open the weathered pages. A beautiful bright eyed woman stared back at me, proudly holding a fish she has presumably caught, the two handsome gentlemen next to her were clearly amused, but she had eyes only for the camera.

“Mom?” I spoke to her back as she was busy organizing something.

“Who is this pretty woman? With the fish?” She paused, confused, and turned with questioning eyes until she saw the photo album I held out to her.

“Oh honey! That’s me!” She laughed at my wide and unbelieving eyes and moved over next ot me. Cleaning was instantly abandoned as we sprawled out on the floor, flipping though the pages one after another, Stories, memories, laughter, and the occasional “oh goodness what WAS her name?” turned a productive afternoon into night, and the photo albums were retuned back to their home under the coffee table.

Do you or your loved ones have any forgotten photo albums? On the next rainy day, whip up a fresh batch of cookies, put some fresh coffee or tea, and surprise your loved one by bingeing them the photo albums and asking them to tell you all about the peoples in them, You may even want to take notes, so that you can pass the stories along to your children, and your children’s children.

While you are at it, make sure that you create your own photo album once in a while, create a folder on your smart hone for “Printed Album” and every 6 months, print them and assemble them into an old fashioned album, Used recycled album from tag sales if you want to give it a nostalgic feel.

What a great gift idea? Find some old photos and recreate them with yourself, other family members, ad your children, Place them all inside an old fashioned photo album, and watch that smile emerge, Memories never go out of style.