How often do you watch your family videos?

Parent Cafe
21

I got them transferred to DVDs about 8 years ago. From this thread I now see that’s not good enough anymore. Something else to procrastinate about.

My D is adopted, so we used to watch the video of our first days together on our adoption anniversary, until she vetoed seeing it again when she was around 10. I have only watched one of the three DVDs of her early years once. It’s so bittersweet seeing this little person who has been absent for so many years. I had completely forgotten about some of her exaggerated facial expressions and even her voice to some extent. That is precisely the reason why I took the videos in the first place, but it just makes me so nostalgic that I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch all of them.

D has no interest in them at this point. I wonder if that will change as she gets older. We didn’t have a movie camera growing up, but my next door neighbors did. They put some of those on VHS for us years ago. My sister and I appear at the birthday parties and at picnics in the backyards, as well as street scenes. After my parents died, I cleaned out their attic and found a couple reels of film taken by a relative before I was born. Watching both these is fascinating for me, but almost like I’m seeing ghosts.

22

It’s so bittersweet I really never watch them. My nephew made a video of my dad for his funeral and I never watched that one either.

23

Yeah, since my oldest has schizophrenia, it’s just too hard. He was the brightest-eyed, most enthusiastic kid you’ve ever seen. I can hardly bear to even look at old photos of him.

24

Oh, I’m so sorry @MaineLonghorn. Not that this is even a comparison, more like a small understanding. But mine was always laughing and full of life…just wore me out. He’s grown into a more serious, quieter young man. We thought he was depressed in his teens. When I watch the videos, I really miss that boy! It does make it a little hard.