Remember when we used to have our pictures developed and we put them in albums? We could take them off the shelf and take a walk down memory lane.

Albums are mostly digital now…

Except Grandma’s photo albums. She’s still printing her favorite pictures and putting them into books. She gives them to my kids. When she comes to visit she often spends time going through the pictures with them.

I have a deep hunch that this tangible ritual is profoundly bonding. I think it’s forming and reinforcing an important set of their permanent memories.

And when she’s not around, they sometimes pull their books off the shelves and sit down and take a look–showing them to their siblings with giggles and pride.

Pretty powerful.