Using Tools that God Gives us: Christmas edition

I actually do not have any photos of the kids opening their gifts because, you guessed it, we were on FaceTime. It was so nice in the moment to see them open their gifts, but now I can not go back and reminisce on the moment. It is a blessing to be able to “be together” and a curse there are no pictures to look back on. 

Photos are important for all of us to help jog our past memories over the years. We all catch ourselves saying, “Oh I forgot about that day!” when we see an old photo. With a TBI, photos become even more important. They are like a time capsule. They capture the space in time to help me look back and remember. When you are navigating a TBI, that ability to do that in your head is broken. Photos then become my mnemonic technique (a pathway to remember) to hold on to the special moments. 

So maybe it would be better in my position to record the Facetime so I could replay it when I have moments of really missing them. Also, it would be so cool to replay the footage when they are older. It can be a time capsule for 2025 Christmas. 

If you have a loved one with a TBI, or just struggling with memory, I would recommend videos and pictures shared with them often as a way to connect and hold on to the memories. You can also share Google Docs with images and words to connect the dots between phone calls and visits.

Take advantage of the technologies we now have to stay connected.

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