Hey Scan My Photos,

I almost threw away the photos my kids didn’t even know existed.

For years, I kept saying I’d go through the boxes. Every January, it was “this is the year.” Every summer I just moved them to another corner of the garage. I back up my phone every night. I pay for extra storage. But the old printed photos? I assumed they were fine.

Two months ago, I opened one box. That’s when I felt it in my stomach.

Inside was a picture of my mom sitting in her first car. I had never seen her that young. She looked fearless. The edges were curling. One corner was already fading.

And it hit me.

If that photo disappears, no one will ever know it existed. My kids won’t miss it. They’ve never seen it. That scared me. So we finally digitized everything.

When the scans came back, I stayed up way too late scrolling through them. My dad with hair. My grandmother is laughing. I am five with missing teeth. Moments I didn’t even know we still had. I didn’t realize how much we were missing until I saw them on my screen.

I’m honestly so grateful we did this. Thanks for helping us keep these moments alive. I don’t know why I waited so long. Maybe because nothing forces you to. Until something does.

– Lisa, Orlando