It was a Thursday, and I had just transferred files from a good ol’ hard drive. That hard drive had seen us through the various changes from different devices. As I explored my documents, I stumbled upon the picture folder. With a sinister laugh, I knew my friends were not going to like what came next.

After sending loads of old photographs from 6-7 years back, I could see the bittersweet feelings resurfacing. We laughed so hard at the fashion trends we had jumped on, at the makeup that was now irrelevant, and at the things that we concerned ourselves about in those years. Memories of the good times, the simple times, and the really skinny times all came up! Some of the people in our photos were no longer friends. Others had become exes. We had experienced some losses and by God, some gains.

You know, most people avoid looking back. And I mean, I understand why… (Hello? Lot’s wife!) But there are times one must look back on photos or journals or whatever memorabilia, to ponder upon how far we’ve come; the people who have walked and fought alongside us, the people who once meant the world to us, and the immense growth that happened even without us knowing! Looking back makes us grateful for how far we have come.

The feelings were so strong for me, I had to pen them down. The hairstyles, the discovery of self, of purpose even… the disappointment that life outside school brought along. I even saw letters from unrequited love cycles I had experienced. Gosh! (Slightly flustered right now). Then there were these pictures where I celebrated the milestones of the blog, when I had hit certain goals I had made. Even though I have long surpassed them, I doubt I have felt as happy as I did back then.

Would I like to change anything from the past? Probably not. Somehow, every quirky outfit, trendy hairstyle, goofy moment with friends, happy photos from work, and styles that we hope would back a comeback—through it all, I’ve grown. I’ve found meaning in the messiness of life. I’ve preserved friendships that have spanned years. I’ve learnt to let go of things I can’t control (eg. People’s expectations of me). Well, still working on that. Haha.

I hope we make new memories. I hope we live in the now, so that we can look back in the next 10 years and smile at how far we have come.

Let the light in!

Love,

M.