What Memories Does Your Old Photos Give?

Have you ever look through old photos or watch old videos and different emotions surface? As I go through my gallery on my phone and look at my photos I say to myself I have a grand look in life, I have good fashion sense, and I’m pretty dope.

I hope when you’re looking through your gallery you’re thinking positive thoughts about yourself as well. To take it a step further as you’re carousing through your phone or tablet do you remember what you were doing that day ? Old photos and videos can tell alot about what's going on with you. If you're reading this blog and you don’t know me personally I want to share with you some of my great moments, experiences, and events from my past that helped shaped me to be the person I am today.

This photo was taken in Jauary, 2018, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. I just started my new job and I was excited, and relieved because my prior job was stressful and it was not for me. I was there for the annual SCECA training for 4k teachers, which is hosted annually. My hotel stay and training was paid for, which is a plus. At the training I met other 4k teachers and motivational speakers from all over South Carolina. I reunited with old coworkers and colleagues. The highlight of my weekend was hanging out with my friend and cousin after my long day of training. The night that this photo was taken, my friend and cousin and I went shopping , we ate at Benjamins a popular seafood restaurant, we hang out at Celebrity Circle at Broadway on the Beach. At Broadway on the Beach we went club hopping and went to the karaoke bar, where we watched other people sing karaoke we had a blast. I enjoyed my time at Myrtle Beach which was much needed.

This photo was taken in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in 2015. Pictured above is my husband and I. I remember it was snowing on the ride there ,the mountains were steep, and the highway was narrow. The view was beautiful, as I was riding I looked down the mountain to see the tree tops with snow and the sunlight made it more captivating. The cabins were everything, it was a six bedroom cabin with spacious rooms, some rooms had bunk beds, a dining room, a game room with a pool table and a television, relaxing sofas, and a spacious kitchen. There were four couples on this trip, which made the trip more thrilling. We played cards, we went shopping at the Tanger Outlet and sight seeing in Pigeon Forge and we also dined out at a seafood place that I don’t remember the name. Back at the cabin we played a game called how well do you know your spouse? Each couple wrote down questions for their spouse to answer. One of the other spouse read the questions to see if the spouse got the answer correct. It was Mother's Day weekend,the Saturday before Mother's Day the men prepared a steak dinner for the women, to show their appreciation for the women. Mother's Day Sunday we did a paint and sip, that one of the couples organized. We had another couple to come in to teach the class,which was fun. Afterwards we listened to music, laughed and dance half the night. I can go on for days about this trip, all in all this was a great and fun experience for my first time going to the cabins.

This photo was taken in April of 2017, I was three months pregnant with my Avril. This was my birthday weekend, and I was celebrating in Charlotte, North Carolina at one of my favorite places, South Park Mall. It's an upscale mall that have a lot of my favorite stores such as: Aldi, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Tory Burch and many other high end brands. What tops it all is the Cheesecake Factory. I love eating in the restaurant at the Cheesecake factory, because afterwards I get to order my cheesecake to go. I am never disappointed when I dine there. As a tip, it's best to reserve in advance because the wait is long if you just decide to go there to dine in the last minute. One of the things I’ve done in the past is I made my reservations and did a little shopping and browsing while I waited. Another important factor I remembered about this day was the road trip and the laughter and conversation my cousin and I had on the way to Charlotte and back.

This photo was taken in November of 2014 in Nassau Bahamas. This was my first time out of the country, and I felt on the top of the world. I always wanted to go on a cruise to get that experience and to explore outside of my country. I was planning this trip for months prior to me actually going. This was a private beach that my husband and I booked as one of our excursions. The water was clear, clean and blue. The beach was beautiful and serene. Other people that I cruised with were engaging in different water sports such as snorkeling,and swimming with the dolphins. The natives were friendly, appreciative and showed great hospitality. I had a blast on my cruise and my husband and I met some really cool people.

I took this selfie in Walmart in December of 2019, I was doing a little Christmas shopping. I love the Christmas holidays because its so much cheer and giving during this season. Honestly, I don’t know what made me take this picture, but I love it. Shopping and giving back is one of my hobbies. When I look at this picture I realize that I have the quality of making lemonades out of lemons and looking at the light at the end of the tunnel.

This picture is one of my shots from my birthday photo shoot. I’ve decided to do a photo shoot for my 40th birthday. I wanted to celebrate 40 years of life, starting a blog, and entering into the next chapter of my life. My photo shoot took place in several locations in Sumter, South Carolina. I wanted to get different sceneries of the city, and to show my different wardrobe.

Last but not least, this is a photo of my late mother, Lillie R.Burgess. My mother passed away on October 2013. I really wasn't ready for this. She passed away from a sudden illness. My mother was a sweet, giving, driven and hard working woman. She was a Certified Nursing Assistant that took her job seriously, she loved helping people. I’ve witnessed her putting other’s needs ahead of her own . She also loved going to church, ushering, singing in the choir and spending time with close friends and family. Also my mom was a great cook, I miss her meals, generosity and all the laughs we had.

Guys, this is a little excerpt from my life, I hope you enjoyed reading this. I charge each of you to view some of your old photos for fun,and healing. I wish all of you the best.

Much love, April