By SUSAN DROMEY HEETER, InDepthNH.org

In this time of Covid, I muse joyfully on organizing, on tossing, on going through pictures and slides. 

But I also muse joyfully on hoping some of you will have answers, ideas on what to do with those thousands and thousands of photographs – not on an Iphone, not lovingly placed in scrapbooks, but tossed in bins and boxes – as organized as my unmatched socks and junk drawer.

Yesterday I grabbed handfuls of photographs that had been thrown in a bin years ago – no rhyme or reason, no order.  An old boyfriend from college was next to my daughter’s fourth birthday party, my sister smiled in her wedding dress from 1994. 

I sifted through baby pictures, first communions, even a bicycle trip I’d taken with another old boyfriend through Belgium.  In some ways, going through this bin felt like falling from a cliff and seeing my life flash before my eyes – but in no particular order, no linear pattern, nothing really made sense except I was falling fast into memories, memories, memories.

But now, dear Joyful Musers, what do I do with them in my new world order? What do you do? When I Googled, “What to do with old photos” I found one post that suggests, “Organizing, culling and scanning.”  Those words alone exhaust me – I did scan a few, texted both friends and family but I don’t think I have the bandwidth to spend the hours and days this will take.

So, today? Today, they’ll stay in the boxes and bins and wait for a cozy Sunday afternoon in the dark of winter to visit old friends, family, places, old boyfriends.  I am entirely curious, however, Joyful Musers what YOU do. 

 If you are free falling from a cliff? Maybe we can join one another with a cup of tea and a parachute and make the journey of culling far more pleasant.  We can compare stories, laugh and delight in the process of letting go.

Susan Dromey Heeter is a writer from Dover who recently let her hair go au natural white. Writing has been her passion since her English majoring days at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.  Dromey Heeter has lived in The Netherlands, Alaska and currently basks in all things New England, including the frigid winters. An avid swimmer, Dromey Heeter’s great passion is to bring back body surfing as most children have no idea how to ride waves without ridiculous boogie boards.

The opinions expressed are those of the writer. InDepthNH.org takes no position on politics, but welcomes diverse opinions. email nancywestnews@gmail.com