Recently, I've found many old photos of Mom, Dad, David, me and my first dog Coco. They meant a lot to me. I wondered how to keep them forever. Luckily, my son used a new app to clear up and improve some of the old photos. Looking at them brought back so many loving and happy memories. I even used one as my computer screen saver (屏保).
It is a picture of me sitting in my favorite chair, across from the wood stove (炉子) next to a bookcase full of old books. I am wearing my special Snoopy shirt and hugging Coco. There is a big smile on my face and a joyful shining light in my eyes. It was how I spent a lot of my winter afternoons as a girl, hugging Coco and reading an old book.
It is surprising how 60 years later that girl still lives inside of me. I still love comfortable chairs, warm stoves, Snoopy clothes, hugging dogs and reading books on cold winter days. But when I look in the mirror now, all I see is a thin face, grey hair, and lots of wrinkles (皱纹). The only thing that hasn't completely changed is the eyes. They are hiding behind glasses now and full of wisdom (智慧) given by ages. But they still have that same joyful shining light.
Looking at the little girl smiling at me from the computer screen and that 66-year-old woman looking back at me in the mirror can be a little bit strange at times. They look so different. However, they are both me. We can't stop getting older, but we can remain both joyful and young at heart forever.
