Reflections at halftime

Disclaimer:

This post is not complete.

As in, I'm very sure I've got more to say on this matter, but I guess I'm just not eloquent enough to be able to express it out properly.

But I want this post to be up today, so here it is, but I reserve the right to amend or add on to it as and when I am able to.

So here goes.....

It's been a strange few months....not only have I been preparing for the Oct wedding and looking forward to the next phase of my life with Lena, but as I approach the big 4-0, I've been also looking back at my life and my family so far.

Plus when my grandma passed away recently at the age of 89, I had a good opportunity to ponder about mortality and the question: "What legacy can/do you leave behind when you leave this world?"

Well, for my granny, I know what she left behind....8 sons, 16 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren.

Here's a picture of her taken when she was 17 years old....that dates the photo to 1937! Pretty cool eh?

Can't say that I've got anything to complain about though....all my life I've been blessed with the things that matter most: a close knit, loving family who stood by and supported each other in everything we do.

My folks were not well-off, but they imparted in me a set of wholesome and priceless values - responsibility, thrift, contentment, the importance of family ties.

For this I am eternally grateful and thankful.

Thank you Mum and Pa.

Here's a picture of me with my folks dated 3 March 1974, when I was 4 years, 7 months and 1 day old.

Yes I was a happy smiley kid, not the dour faced sulk I tend to be these days.

And my folks were holding hands too!!! Woo hoo!!!

Lest I forget my pesky little sister, here's an early photo of us.

Thank goodness she doesn't look anything like me.

And I wear better looking, non reflective glasses now, I swear.

So here I am at the halfway point of my life....

My sis is married with her own family and kids now, my folks are getting on in years, I myself, at age 40, at the cusp of embarking on a new journey - married life.

I have much to be proud of as I look back at my life...got a decent job? Check. Stayed out of jail? Check. Cam-whore pictures didn't show up online? Check.

At the same time, I have much to look forward to, many challenges to face, many journeys to travel...who knows? Even children to raise? =)

Legacy? Too early to talk about that man! Anyways, I think legacy is best left for people around you to consider after you're dead, not something you constantly struggle to achieve in your lifetime.

All I know is....as I embark upon the 2nd half of my life, I know I'll always carry with me the fond warm memories of my past and my youth, and I'll always strive to uphold the values left to me by my folks and family.

Afterall, I am their legacy, no?