Dear Eric: When my brother passed away many years ago, my sister-in-law kept the family photo album that belonged to him.
The family photos in my sister-in-law’s possession include many from my childhood and our larger family, as well as a few of her husband, my brother. I understand that these albums hold great sentimental value for her, and I appreciate the connection she must feel to these memories.
What I struggle with is that, while all my brothers and sisters have their own photo albums, I do not. After our parents passed away, my brother was able to take what he wanted from the house, but I did not have that opportunity, so I have no family album of my own.
Do you have any advice on how I might approach my sister-in-law about possibly sharing copies of some of the photos, so that I too can have some of these memories to hold on to?
—Picture’s Worth
Dear Picture’s Worth: It’s absolutely fine to just ask her directly if you can have copies of the photos of your family. Something like, “The family photo album you have contains some photos I’d really love to have, as well. Can I come over and make some copies?”
You may want to go a step further by thinking through the logistics, so that she doesn’t feel burdened by the ask (not that the ask is a burden; it’s perfectly reasonable). But it will make the whole thing easier if you decide in advance whether you’re planning to take photos of the photos, to bring a scanner and scan them onsite, or borrow them and get them professionally scanned and reprinted. All are good options. Giving her a full picture of what you’re asking will help, i.e., “I’d need to come over and take a look at the photos, then borrow them for an afternoon and return them. I can also send you digital copies, if you want.”
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
