I accidentally came across some really old photos while cleaning out drawers at my grandma's place last weekend.

These were pictures of my greatgrandparents, grandpa & grandma, my mum, uncles & aunts while they were kids, all in black and white and many of them already tattered. Yet behind these torn yellowed pages lie many untold family stories that only my grandma could recall and relate to. I took a quick glance at her as she flipped through photographs of her wedding day, in her white flowing gown, reliving the carefree courtship days she shared with my grandpa. She was quite a beauty, the unconventional sort of spunky lass that stood her out in a crowd. While her elder sisters were busy learning how to sew or cook for the family, my grandma was the one who'd rather venture into the woods with the older men to gather firewood. It is precisely this kind of fiesty spirit that kept her going through life's ups and downs, until now.

My grandfather, on the other hand, was the perfect gentleman. Patient, giving and successful in his own right, he was always gentle, slow to anger, and never aggressive. He was a simple man who greeted everyone with a smile, and never refused any for help. While many others were squatting by the roadside gulping down bowls of diluted congee just for sustenance, he had his own automobile business and was clad in tailored suits, learned and distinguished, my grandpa was certainly one sought after eligible bachelor of his time.

Together, Mister Eligible Bachelor and Miss Beauty Spunky Lass built a family and had 4 lovely children. All God-fearing, good looking, smart and obedient, it was a perfect picture of how a family should be. Beautiful, even somewhat enchanting.

50 years down the road, as my grandma looks at these age-worn pictures again, little did she expect the events that have happened and moulded each of her 4 children. Environments that have evolved and people that have come and go. How she lost her beloved husband just more than a year ago, her grandchildren who may or may not understand the things that she would like them to remember. She carries her experience, doubts and fears of the future, and hopes for her loved ones with a heavy heart. I wish could spend more time with her and soak in all that she would pass on to me. It will be invaluable, and I won't wanna regret not giving her enough attention as I did when my grandpa passed away. It is a heavy price of regret I'll never be able to pay.

As for now, my grandma heaves a sigh. Whether of relief, or regret, or just plainly for the sake of all things past, present and yet to come, only she would comprehend.