Old Things

While going through some things during my organization adventure, I found the container that held Mom's photos.   Mom was my mother-in-law who passed away two years ago this past February.  This is an old photo album that she had.

This photo doesn't really show how worn this album is.  It's literally falling apart and obviously has been for years.  If you look closely in the photos below, you'll see someone tried to keep it together by sewing pages together.

See the black thread in the one just above?  I wonder how long the book has been held together by threads?

It's really barely holding together.  Some of the photos have come loose.

I look at this photo and feel as though this family worked hard.  I feel certain they went through hard times, yet look at their clothes.  It's obvious they were dressed in their Sunday best.  There are no smiles.  I wonder why.

I wonder who was cut out of the photo on the top right.  I adore the old car and look at the girl posing along side it.

 The newer looking photo is of Mom's niece.  I have no clue who the others are. 

I insisted Mom come live with us when she could no longer live alone due to her health and age.  She was probably 92 at the time.  We moved her into our spare bedroom which is upstairs along with the other three.  She was unable to get up and down the stairs without a lot of assistance so she spent hours upstairs in her room.  She'd wander into our bedroom while I was folding clothes, or watch TV in her room, or fall asleep reading the newspaper.  I knew she had to get bored to tears. 

One day we were looking at some photos she'd brought with her and I asked her to please go through them and write the names of the subjects on the back of each photo.  She did and this week I found little notes she'd written too.  I haven't gone through them all, but I was absolutely thrilled to find the notes.

This photo album holds pictures of people that are long gone.  Mom couldn't write the names of them on the backs because the photos are glued to the pages.  Hubby has no clue who some of these people are.  I'm going to go visit Mom's niece and see if she knows who any of them are. 

I was just intrigued with this photo album.  The wear and tear, hanging together by threads, the faces and the stories behind those faces. 

Old things are needed and useful in many ways.  Older people are as well - even more so.  They have experience, knowledge and ideas that could teach us so much.  As I get older I listen to those older than me for I have learned that they know a lot more than I do.   I wish I could bottle up their wisdom  and keep it to use when they're no longer around.