Must-Have Pictures

This weekend, as I retreated from the rain in a beautiful cabin and enjoyed time with my friends scrapbooking, we discussed what we would take with us if we had to flee our homes for a natural disaster. Ironically, this was before the waters flooded over metro-Atlanta this week.

Overwhelmingly our group gravitated to the pictures, the many albums we have spent countless hours creating, the thousands of memories they represent.

My husband lived in Tampa during the flood of '93. As the waters topped over the canal and into his parent's home, so went all the baby photos that exist of him. They did not have digital backup when we were younger so there is no living evidence of what my husband looked like as a child. We can't compare what he looked like against our girl's features (which helps me make a case for how much they favor me).  I find this sad.

While certainly, people and pets are first priority in a quick escape, given a few extra moments I would quickly gather as many albums as I could. I would then grab my hard drive and laptop, purse and iphone and head to safety.

Realistically, I know that in a disaster people only have minutes to get out. So I am determined to make sure at the very least my pictures are backed up online at a safe place - just in case. At the retreat the suggestion came up to store these items in a fireproof, waterproof box. This is certainly an option, however one that spoils the intent for which they were created. The albums and memories are meant to be displayed and shared. So we take our chances. But I'd still make an attempt to take my wedding album and the girl's baby albums!

What is so dear to you that you would try to take it with you in the event of a natural disaster?