The Death of a Hard Drive

Well, we suffered a huge loss this past week. Our Computer died. For three days we all shared one computer (which I kind of liked, we mostly just didn't bother with it).

I hadn't backed anything up. I kept thinking 'One of these days, I need to weed through all those pictures and then put the good ones on discs, just in case.' But it was going to take SO much time to do that, I just kept procrastinating.

I kept thinking, 'I should get those Christmas pictures posted so the Grandparents can see them.' But I thought I had lots of time.

And now, it's all gone. Vanished without a breath left behind. :(

We are trying to rebuild. The kids bring their iPods to me, to show me that we have pictures from July 2012, or May 2011. We celebrate those blessings.

Praise the Lord, I had sent my entire manuscript in to be printed, so I have it in my 'sent' email folder as an attachment. Also thankful that I am a devoted Hotmail user, or all of my Telus emails would also be gone.

However, I am in a constant state of jarring memories that I 'no longer have'. It's hard on the heart.

I must choose to be thankful, though. I HAVE SO MANY amazing memories. And I HAVE TIME to make more. :)

It's been a good reminder that although the pictures are so good for the memory and glue to the family as you look over your history together- those experiences are also built into our hearts and minds. We need to be intentional about others (not just me) taking their cameras out.

Also, I must tell you that there was a night when I lay in bed talking to God. It went something like this. "God, you say you'll make good out of everything if we love you and live according to your purpose. Well, I'm trying to do that, and honestly I don't know what good could come out of us losing all of that history. This just sucks."

The next day I called my best friend. She wasn't home, but her hubby informed me that he'd been out that morning buying an external hard drive to back up all of their stuff. I had to smile. I suppose that 'good' hadn't necessarily been for me, but at least it was good.

It's not a loss of life, it's not cancer, divorce or the end of the world. But it still sucks, and there has stupidly still been a grieving process.

Don't let it happen to you. Upload some pictures where they will be saved. Put them on a thumb drive, an external hard drive, or a disc. Find the files and letters that matter to you and save them as well.

Right now.

Go.