Has anyone ever watched old family videos of relatives who has passed away?

[TVFactFan]

My mom has found old family videos from 1992 and I don't think I can hear the voice of my family members who died at a young age, my cousin at 27 and step dad at 38. I don't know what hearing their voice again on a vieo would do to me especially since I knew I would never hear their voice again. So I told my mom I think will PASS on watching the videos because I don't want to get emotional. Could anyone do something like this?

[crystaldawn]

We recently transferred a lot of home movies to dvd. I enjoyed seeing some of my relatives (including my grandparents) who have passed away. I can see how you would be hesitant to do so but I found it comforting to get to see them and hear them again. Thats a gift imo.

[Dutabi84]

I know I probably wouldn't. Maybe if I were alone, but definitely not with a group of people.

[TVFactFan]

We recently transferred a lot of home movies to dvd. I enjoyed seeing some of my relatives (including my grandparents) who have passed away. I can see how you would be hesitant to do so but I found it comforting to get to see them and hear them again. Thats a gift imo.


Grandparents I think wouldn't be as bad, it's the ones who died at a young age

[TVFactFan]

We recently transferred a lot of home movies to dvd. I enjoyed seeing some of my relatives (including my grandparents) who have passed away. I can see how you would be hesitant to do so but I found it comforting to get to see them and hear them again. Thats a gift imo.


Grandparents I think wouldn't be as bad, it's the ones who died at a young age

[freshprinceofLA]

In 1993 when I was almost 2 my grandpa passed away. Fast forward into the 2000's I found a video of my grandpa. I saw how vibrant and lively he was he reminded me a lot of me. My grandma told me that me and my grandpa had a lot in common things like our love for history and basketball stuff like that. Reletives say that I used to love him and I woulden't stop crying when he wasen't holding me. But the sad thing is I really have no memory of this just stories and this tape even though this tape was of him and my brother cause I wasen't born in the tape yet the tape is probably late 90' or early 91' (I was born in 91'). In this case I was just curious to see how my grandpa really was had it been someone I remembered I would be hesistant.

[TVFactFan]

In 1993 when I was almost 2 my grandpa passed away. Fast forward into the 2000's I found a video of my grandpa. I saw how vibrant and lively he was he reminded me a lot of me. My grandma told me that me and my grandpa had a lot in common things like our love for history and basketball stuff like that. Reletives say that I used to love him and I woulden't stop crying when he wasen't holding me. But the sad thing is I really have no memory of this just stories and this tape even though this tape was of him and my brother cause I wasen't born in the tape yet the tape is probably late 90' or early 91' (I was born in 91'). In this case I was just curious to see how my grandpa really was had it been someone I remembered I would be hesistant.


Yeah if you have no memory of them then it probably wouldn't bother you

[Brad]

My grandmother is still alive, but has advanced Parkinson's and she has deteriorated into a child-like state. She speaks in an untelligible, quiet mumble and is given to crying at the drop of a hat. She can't be left alone for any amount of time and needs help doing the most basic of things.

That said, she used to be a very independent, sharp woman. I recently tried watching a video of her retirement party, and there was a moment on the tape where she comes up to the microphone and gives a nice "thank you" speech to those who threw the party, and to those who came. I couldn't take it and I had to turn the video off.

While my grandma is still with us, the woman she used to be no longer is, and I miss her terribly.

[Janice]

Can't do it, and I know I never will. My wedding video from 1985...forget it. There's many Christmas day videos that I can't bring myself to watch. I can't even look at photographs of deceased loved ones, and I have none displayed in my home. I've lost both parents and two young sisters (35 & 49). I have a hard time getting through most days, even now. I would fall apart watching videos of those happy days, which are gone forever.

[Stuck In The '70's]

It isn't a video but I have an audio tape of my Mother when she came home from the hospital after my sister Amy was born. This was in 1982. I have never listened to it since she died. I don't know if I ever will.

[AB]

We also have videos of my husbands brother and his grandparents who passed away several years ago and of my dad who died 3 years ago. Its not so hard to watch now, but it would have been back when they all first passed away. My son watches them more than we do.

[Brieannas21]

My best friend was killed 1 1/2 ago, I seriously can't even look at a picture of her without having a anxiety attack. So I know I can't look at any video's

[Ireneparalegal]

I feel so awful for those who can't bear to watch videos or look at pics.

I have a video of my dad. He was in his bed and it was 6 days before he died. I felt I had to videotape him, so I could show my son who was only 3 at the time my dad died. Different family members sitting with my dad, talking with him. My father was very coherent, so it is not like he was laying there and not responsive. That's how I want to remember him. Not the last two days where he was really weak and couldn't talk.

I knew it was my last chance to film my father alive since he would die any day. I enjoy looking at it. When I showed it to my sister, she just cried. I guess it shows that some people can handle things better than others.

[PZelda]

Yeah, I've got a home video with three of my family members in it who passed on a long time ago. My maternal grandpa is in it and he died over 10 years ago, in January of '97. Two of my cousins have passed on too... one at 30 in 1999 (died suddenly) and one at 16 in 2004 (committed suicide). It's kind of hard to watch it... that video I have is from 1990, when my 30-year-old cousin was my age (21), and when my 16-year-old cousin was just 2.

I haven't watched that home video since like... ohhh I have no idea... 2003ish. But, yeah.

[catlover79]

We have several home videos taken back in the 1990s. My grandparents (who are all gone now) are in them. I was especially close to my mom's mom and even looking at her picture can drive me to tears, and she's been gone since 1995! So seeing her in a video and hearing her voice again is still too painful for me. Maybe someday I'll be able to, but when I'm by myself, like Dutabi84 said.

Those videos and pictures really do bring back another era, times that will never be again.

[garyj]

We have several home videos taken back in the 1990s. My grandparents (who are all gone now) are in them. I was especially close to my mom's mom and even looking at her picture can drive me to tears, and she's been gone since 1995! So seeing her in a video and hearing her voice again is still too painful for me. Maybe someday I'll be able to, but when I'm by myself, like Dutabi84 said.

Those videos and pictures really do bring back another era, times that will never be again.

It was hard for me too. My mother died of congestive heart failure in 1988. Last year my sisters found a cassette tape of my mother's voice and they converted it over to a CD. My voice is on this recording as a kid. I was going into the eighth grade then. this was about 1974. I listened to it once or twice after which I put it away. I might listen again, but I miss my mom and it can be hard for me to listen.

[dawsongirl]

With my relatives who are currently gone, yes, I could. Great-grandparents (1990 and 2004), and grandfather (also 1990...that was a bad year). But the two guys, I don't remember them a lot. I remember my great-grandfather, but I was 11 when he died, so it would be nice to see a reminder of sorts. And my grandfather wasn't around much. Great-grandma would be okay too. Improvement over how she was when I last saw her, dying in a nursing home, completely out of it.

Parents though...I think I'd be more like Janice. I'd go ballistic with tears.

[Hollow]

we've never made any home videos. the answering machine on the phone though still has the recording of my mom saying that no one's home and to leave a message. kind of makes me happy when i call home and no one answers so i can hear it.

[treky]

I've watched home videos of my granparents; who passed away years ago (my grandmother in 64, grandfather in 81-these are my grandparents on my mothers side) along with my mother as a little girl and it doesn't bother me.
(they're really old home movies put onto tape)

[I Love John Ritter]

I'm kind of ambivalent about it. I've watched videos with my paternal grandmother who passed away in 2002 and they don't really bother me, but I don't enjoy watching them either. They just make me miss her more.

[Stuck In The '70's]

It was hard for me too. My mother died of congestive heart failure in 1988. Last year my sisters found a cassette tape of my mother's voice and they converted it over to a CD. My voice is on this recording as a kid. I was going into the eighth grade then. this was about 1974. I listened to it once or twice after which I put it away. I might listen again, but I miss my mom and it can be hard for me to listen.
I have a hard time looking at old photos. I know videos or casette tapes would just break me.

[coffield3]

I only have videos of my dad and of one of my grandmas,i get to upset when i watch them i hope one day ill be able to watch and smile! ;)

[Coffeecup]

During the 1990;s I recorded many videos of my parents. Both are gone now. I don't record much as I used to. With them gone the thrill of it is gone too.
Occasionaly I do see them but what I see is how people age. Gosh am I going to look like that in 30 years. . I should be happy they were healthy til a few months before their deaths

[FactoryGirl]

Recently, I watched some old family tapes from the eighties when my mother was still in our lives. I'm not much of a crier, but watching all five of us in happier moments made me cry so bad, that I was shaking. The reality that instead of five, (not counting my husband and kids and my dad and his new family) there are only my dad and I. I lost my brother, twin sister, and now estranged mother and it's really hard to look at home videos and to just hear their voices..... my mother had the best laugh...

My mother's father also passed away and he used to record himself singing while playing the guitar, I always thought that was soothing and I listen to it with great pride.