We live in a time where photos are everywhere. Our phones are filled with them, our social media feeds scroll endlessly with snapshots of our lives, and our walls might even hold a few framed favorites. And yes—you should absolutely enjoy your photos in the moment. They’re a reminder of the people you love, the places you’ve been, and the joy you feel right now.

But here’s the thing: photos aren’t just for us. They’re also for later.

Photos Tell Your Story for Generations

Think about the photos you’ve seen of your grandparents or great-grandparents. Maybe it was a wedding photo, a military portrait, or a candid moment of them laughing in the kitchen. Those images aren’t just pictures—they’re stories. They connect us to people and times we didn’t live through, and they help us understand our family history.

Someday, your photos will be that for someone else.

How Are You Preserving Them?

The question isn’t just whether you’re taking photos—it’s how you’re preserving them. Will your great-grandchildren be able to look back and know the timeline of your life, your family, and the things you valued?

A few ways to think about preservation:

• Printing – Albums, framed portraits, and prints stand the test of time in a way digital files don’t always.

• Organizing – Keeping photos in order, labeling them, or creating yearly albums helps future generations understand when and where events happened.

• Storing – Back up digital files, but don’t let them live only on a phone or one hard drive that might not exist 50 years from now.

Photos Are a Legacy

When we take photos, we’re really creating a legacy. They’re a gift for our children, grandchildren, and the generations who will come long after us. Photos show not just what we looked like, but how we lived, what we loved, and who we were.

So yes, enjoy them now—hang them on your walls, flip through your albums, and smile when you see them pop up as memories. But also think ahead: how are you preserving your story for the ones who will come after you?