Celebrating Memories with a Modern Twist

In the second half of 2025, I celebrated my 60th birthday. For the occasion, I invited a handful of close friends to meet me in Chicago. In an effort to deter people from bringing gifts, I wrote on the invitation sent months in advance, “Bring yourself, some stories, and perhaps some photos - no gifts please.” I gathered and organized some old photos on my phone. I figured we would just pass around my phone to view them. In the days before the birthday meet-up, people started asking me how I wanted the photos they were bringing, print or digital? I realized that people were putting some effort into this request, and I needed a way to display the pics. 

I did some research to find the best digital frame and discovered it was one by the name of Aura. I purchased it and let my friends know to bring or send the photos in digital form. In the back of my mind, I saw the digital frame solely as a place to display photos during my birthday celebration; I wondered what I would do with it afterward. I saw a digital frame as something only for mothers and grandmothers, not this solo ager.  I loaded lots of old and recent photos onto the digital frame, packed it for my trip to Chicago, and was ultimately resigned to the idea that I would give it away (to someone with kids and grandkids) after the celebration.

The birthday was a success, the photo display on the digital frame added a really nice touch, showing many old photos, including some of the guests and lots of my milestones, family, and silliness. 

Back in Little Rock after the celebration, I unpacked the frame and set it up on my kitchen counter, with the intent of figuring out how to remove all my photos, then find someone with a family to give it to. 

Well, I could not have been more wrong about a digital frame having no place in the life of a solo ager like me. I absolutely L-O-V-E this frame. I keep it next to the counter space where I eat my meals and where I am writing this blog post on my laptop. I have set it so that the photo changes every 15 seconds.  I glance at it regularly, and inevitably it treats me to smiles and wonderful memories. I cannot recommend a digital frame enough, regardless of your familial status. Get one and load it with photos that make you smile.