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 really 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
#1 First And Last Photos With My Dad
Image credits: Seviernurse
#2 My Parents, 1966 To 2023
Image credits: baccgirl
#3 1972, The Year We Met And 2024
Image credits: Ancient_Timer2053
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 Wife And Daughter. Not Sure That I Contributed Anything Genetically
Image credits: Tristan_Leger
#5 My Beautiful Mom. 32 And 93
Image credits: saveitforthedisco
#6 My Wife And Me At Age 20 And At Age 58 - Still Having A Blast With Each Other
Image credits: doublecowboy
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 made 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 Decided I Needed A Shift From The Same Ol' Body - 350lbs Down To 194
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#8 My Husband And His Dad, And My Husband And Our Son
Image credits: Severe_Ad336
#9 Mojo And I In 2005 And 2024. This Year, He Turns 20 And I Turn 50
Image credits: Dr_Ponzu
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 My Mom And Her Parents (1982) // Me And My Parents (2009)
Image credits: axolotls_anon
#11 2006 To Now, My Girl Wolverine Is 18.5 Years Old!
Image credits: Lenaiscool__
#12 Grandad 1959 First Pub Visit When He Was 18 - Now In The Pub 84
Image credits: oli10play
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 an 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 2004-2024 Kindergarten To Married
Image credits: Amore_vitae1
#14 My Japanese Grandma Who Survived World War 2
Image credits: AdGrouchy8078
#15 I Just Lost My Gram This Week At 94. Always A Babe ♥️
Image credits: shell_raiser
A memoir is the history of a person, but it doesn't have to include the things the person lived through they're not comfortable to share. León claims that every subject has agency over their personal story. And, as Shanita Hubbard, the author of Ride Or Die: A Feminist Manifesto For The Well-Being Of Black Women told her in an interview, you can show only the healed version of yourself. "I only show my scars, not my wounds," Hubbard said.
#16 2022 Chemo vs. Now 2024
Image credits: crymyself2sleep3000
#17 Mother And Son
Image credits: Jamescovey
#18 My Mum And Me (1990) Me And My Daughter (2023) 🥰🥰
Image credits: Severe-Marsupial-727
At the same time, the author of a memoir has a lot of power. A person's life inevitably includes other people, and sometimes, they might remember things differently. That's why León recommends talking to friends, family, and acquaintances about events to fact-check if they really happened the way you remember them.
#19 My 95 Year Old Grandmother In Front Of Her Portrait
Image credits: GiveMeTheYeetBoys
#20 My Wife And I In 1989-Present
Image credits: livewire167
#21 My Dad And His Siblings In 1968 And In 2024
Image credits: Acidflightgoat
Recording family history can be just as significant. In a 2023 YouGov survey, the majority of Americans said that their grandparents have been either very (39%) or somewhat (33%) influential in their lives. Yet not every grandchild knows their grandparents very well, as a 2019 poll by Ancestry found out that most grandkids want to hear about their grandparents' childhoods and younger years the most.
#22 13 vs. 45
Image credits: Plenty-Log6688
#23 My Sister And I - 1989 And 2025
Image credits: MIKE11481
#24 My Parents In 1987 vs. Now. They’ve Been Married For 36 Years. 💗
Image credits: No-Director-9650
Recording a family member's story can sometimes be difficult as well. Firstly, they might not want to tell you anything at all. "I've got nothing to tell," they might say. However, as Kate Carter, founder and CEO of LifeChronicles, told WIRED, making it about the family might convince them. She suggests saying something like, "This would mean so much to me and to future generations of our family."
#25 Me At 17 With My Baby. My Baby At 17 With Me
Image credits: DebThornberry
#26 My Mom And I In 1994, My Daughter And I In 2024
Image credits: jadelakin
#27 Girls Trip, 2007 And 2024
Image credits: ginger_wahine
One of the most important things is to know what questions to ask (or what not to ask!). Ancestry experts recommend having a list of questions ready before you talk to them. Together with asking them things about when and where they were born and what their job was, ask things like: "Who was your hero growing up?", "What traits do you think are common in your family?", and "Did you have a favorite hang-out spot?"
#28 My Grandma's Turning 101 In April 2025
Image credits: AbductedByAliens8
#29 Grandpa At 15 And 79
Image credits: James_Tiberius
#30 My Husband And I '87 And '24
Image credits: IceMomster
"Then and now" is an interesting concept; we can see ourselves the way we were, the way we are now, and, perhaps, imagine the way we will be in the future. If this post got you in a nostalgic mood, share your "Past And Present" picture with us down in the comments, Pandas! And if you'd like to see more wholesome pics from this subreddit, check out our previous articles here and here!
#31 In 1980, A Coworker Set Me Up With His Daughter, Who Had Broken Up With Her Significant Other And Was In The Dumps. He Had A Picture He Showed Me And She Was Lovely. We Went On A Blind Date, Married Two Years Later, And Will Soon Have Our 43rd Anniversary. We Have 3 Great Kids And Life Is Great
Image credits: dssorg4
#32 My Husband And I, 2007 - 2023 :)
Image credits: Some_Avocado_2685
#33 25 Years Later
Image credits: gordibuena79
#34 My Husband And I 31 Years Ago And Last Week
Image credits: Psychica-Bilities
#35 My Mom Was Born In October 1922. Through The Years
Image credits: panman341
#36 August 2005 - Christmas Eve 2024
Image credits: DecaffinatedSquirrel
#37 1 Year And 27 Years Old
Image credits: Absolemia
#38 2001 - 2024 A Father/Son Racing Journey
Image credits: ElderberryCareful479
#39 1990- 2024 Married For 34 Years. Together Since 1988. We've Both Changed So Much
Image credits: Starchild1968
#40 My Wife And I -- 1994 - 2024
Image credits: tioem
#41 Me And My Son, 2006, 2016, 2021, 2023
Image credits: Tronofake
#42 My Husband And I On Our Wedding Day 1977 And Now 2024
Image credits: mengel6345
#43 My Wife And I From 17 To 37
Image credits: NoiseGrouchy9372
#44 As The Years Go By. Me At 7, 15, 22, 37, 46, 56, 59
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#45 My Parents In 1976 And 2024
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#46 My Grandmother At 15, 20, 35, 50, 60 And 66
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#47 Cleaned Out My Closet And Found My Favorite Shorts! 2002 vs. 2024
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#48 3yrs, 15yrs, 25yrs, 35yrs, 66yrs
Image credits: Al_Kydah
#49 My Parents At Their Wedding And On Their Most Recent Vacation
Image credits: BonusEmergency9184
#50 My Baby, Then And Now
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#51 My Brother And Me Over The Years! 1997-2024
Image credits: bzthepeach
#52 Me And My Mom In 1985. And In 2024 For My 40th Birthday
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#53 My Husband And I In 1984 In Cincinnati And After 38 Years Of Marriage In Bora Bora In 2023
Image credits: Coloradoandrea
#54 Wife And I 1993 To 2024
Image credits: HueGray
#55 Time Flies, Cherish Every Moment! 28 To Late 50's!
Image credits: Eastnasty
#56 2004 To 2024
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#57 Husband And I 2008-Now
Image credits: bumblingplum666
#58 My Wife In 2000 With Our Daughter And Now After Three Kids Together
Image credits: oldboy_and_the_sea
#59 My Grandma As A Teenager And Now (87)
Image credits: Bluishreddish
#60 2007, 2014, 2024
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#61 Dating In The Mid 90’s To Married 27 Years
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#62 Friend And I, 20 Years Apart, Same Spot
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#63 My Wife And I 2004 And 2024
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#64 My Parents On Their Wedding (2000) And Now. They Both Turn 60 This Year
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#65 1990 & 2024. We Still Hang Out
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#66 My Wife And I. Wedding Rehearsal 1992. 32 Year Anniversary
Image credits: emmettfitz
#67 15 Years With The Love Of My Life (2009>2024)
Image credits: trevordunt39
#68 My Husband And I At 15 And 32
Image credits: embolys
#69 My Wife And I At Her High School Prom, 2009 And 2023. Married 27.5 Years Now
Image credits: tukai1976
#70 Me At 6 Months, 5, 10, 20, And Now (31)
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#71 Exactly 10 Years To The Day Apart, We All Happened To Be Together For A Wedding
Image credits: WatsUpWithJoe
#72 15 Years, 15/16 —> 30/31
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#73 My Parents In 1996 And 2024
Image credits: leonibaloni
#74 Homecoming Age 15 And Present At 37
Image credits: petty_cash_thief
#75 25 To 45
Image credits: CeeJay_Dub
