13 Of The Sweetest Then-And-Now Photos That Prove Some Bonds Only Grow Stronger With Time

How do people measure time, exactly? By periods of good and bad, by how many years they lived, or by how their appearance has changed over time? We can look at the pictures of our youth and see how different we looked and wonder whether we feel that differently.

There's a dedicated community on Reddit where people post photographs of themselves then and now: the Past And Present Pics subreddit. Whether it's re-enactions of family portraits, wholesome married couples, or precious photos recreated by different generations, one thing is clear: we'd all be lucky to have what these people have.

More info: Reddit

13 PHOTOS

#1 First And Last Photos With My Dad

#2 Decided I Needed A Shift From The Same Ol' Body - 350lbs Down To 194

#3 Mojo And I In 2005 And 2024. This Year, He Turns 20 And I Turn 50

One way to think about life is in terms of stories: ultimately, everyone has a story to tell. We can look at every person as a collection of experiences. If they decide to share it, it can be a memoir of some sort, whether it's written, photographed, filmed, painted, etc.

Perhaps that's why we like going down memory lane so much. It's a way to remember our stories, to map out our personal history. Who knows, perhaps many years from now, your grandkids or great-grandkids will open your journal or your photo album and get a glimpse of what life was like before their time?

#4 My Japanese Grandma Who Survived World War 2

#5 2022 Chemo vs. Now 2024

#6 1972, The Year We Met And 2024

According to Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development stages, when we get older, we're more prone to reflect and reminisce about our lives. At this stage of our lives, we feel fulfillment if we're happy about the choices we make or if we regret anything.

According to Erikson, if we're happy with the lives that we live, we feel we have wisdom. If not, the disappointments and regrets lead to bitterness and despair. In Erikson's framework, this stage starts at about 65 years and continues until the end of life. But we don't need to wait for years to pass by if we want to preserve our personal histories. We can start recording right now.

#7 My Wife And Daughter. Not Sure That I Contributed Anything Genetically

#8 My Parents, 1966 To 2023

#9 My Wife And Me At Age 20 And At Age 58 - Still Having A Blast With Each Other

For those who want to record their personal histories, some people specialize in that very thing. Amy Woods Butler, the founder of the memoir-writing service The Story Scribe, writes that creating a memoir benefits both the author and those who will read/listen to/watch it. As we do it, we make sense of our experiences and lives for ourselves, but we also leave some wisdom behind for future generations.

#10 Mother And Son

#11 Grandad 1959 First Pub Visit When He Was 18 - Now In The Pub 84

#12 My Beautiful Mom. 32 And 93

Of course, people can record their memoirs themselves. If sitting down and simply coming up with an outline seems too daunting, memoir writers recommend the interview technique. Even if it's a sort of autobiography, authors can try interviewing themselves. "Ask yourself introspective questions like, 'What was the most meaningful moment in your life?', 'What are you most proud of? Why?' Use your responses to this self-interview to guide your outline," Felice León writes for NPR.

#13 My Husband And His Dad, And My Husband And Our Son