The Importance of Saving Memories from Disaster

I stood perfectly still on the sidewalk, watching helplessly as a neighbor's house burned to the ground. I could feel the heat emanating from the building; the tendrils of thick smoke stung my nose and my eyes; shouts from firefighters and hushed voices of onlookers blended together with the sirens from the firetrucks like some kind of disturbed symphony- the entire event was an assault on the senses. Chaos surrounded me- I should not have been able to concentrate, but there it was. A question arose in my mind as stark as a wintry tundra; what one item would I save if that were my house?

Perhaps it was my control freak tendencies that caused that question to enter my mind at that moment, but the question stuck with me the rest of the day. Naturally assuming that my husband, son and family pet were out of harm's way, what would I save? Would it be a family heirloom? A special award? One of my various collections of trinkets that I have collected over the years? Maybe even a computer used for work and personal use? For me, there is no question- it would absolutely be something of sentimental value.

Simply put, I would want to save memories. I have made scrapbooks of our family, and those would without question be the item I would save if I had to make a choice. It is the photo that I have of my husband and I on our wedding day; the page showing my very pregnant belly the day I went to the hospital for the birth of my son, our first Christmas together as a family, and even our first trip to Disney World. Those are moments that I can relive any time I choose just by opening the pages to our albums. If I lost those, I would be devastated. My father lost everything in a fire when he was just out of high school, and I have never seen a picture of him when he was young. There is a bit of a void when I think about it; I have in some way missed out on seeing what his life was like growing up. My scrapbooks are a way for me to create a family history that are narrating the events in our lives. I am hoping that someday my grandchildren and great-grandchildren can look at these same albums, and learn a little bit about who we are.

An event like watching a house engulfed with writhing flames forces you acknowledge the blessings you have in your own life, and be grateful for them. There are hundreds of everyday material objects that we take for granted as we go about our daily activities; they would be an inconvenience to replace if they were lost, but it could be done over time. It is those special, sentimental treasures that we need to hold onto. Those are the objects that can never be replaced.