Author: Not Written
My grandpa and grandma had many children. They got married at the age of eighteen and gave birth to my eldest aunt. After that, they went on to have many more aunts and uncles. When they were twenty-eight, they had my father. Because there were so many children, my relationship with Grandpa and Grandma was not especially close. Although we lived nearby, we did not visit often, usually only going to Grandpa’s house during Lunar New Year or for ancestor worship.
Whenever there were festivals, our whole family would gather together to sing and dance, performing for Grandpa and Grandma. They always watched with big smiles on their faces. I remember that Grandma passed away when I was in the third grade of elementary school. In my memory, she was already using a wheelchair at that time and could hardly speak. Grandpa worked at a mine when he was young, and later, as he was nearing retirement, he became the neighbourhood chief. Everyone in the community liked him very much. He also loved growing vegetables and often rode his motorcycle to Hongludi to tend to his vegetable garden. In the past, almost all the vegetables our family ate every day were grown by Grandpa himself, nutritious and fresh.
When I was young, I felt that Grandpa was rather strict and often wore a serious expression. But as I grew older, he became more and more kind, always smiling as he spoke with us. Grandpa is now ninety-one years old and still in good health, though he walks more slowly than before. Five years ago, he could still walk briskly. Watching him grow older year by year always fills my heart with emotion. Even so, he still loves growing vegetables. He no longer goes up the mountain but grows them on flat land instead, continuing to enjoy it greatly. Seeing Grandpa age little by little, I often feel heartache, and I understand even more deeply how impermanent and precious life is. Every time I see him still working hard to take care of himself and insisting on staying active, I feel deep admiration. Grandpa’s spirit of refusing to give in to old age and his perseverance are what I most want to learn from.
Now, the time we spend with Grandpa has become less and less. His grandchildren have all grown up, and everyone is busy with their own lives, making it even harder to find time to visit him. Family gatherings that used to be frequent are now almost gone.
Looking back on the lives of Grandpa and Grandma, they lived through very difficult times and used their own hands to support the entire family. At one point, because they could not afford to raise all the children, they even had to send one of my aunts to live with another family. Although we did not spend much time together, their diligence, perseverance, and passion for life have deeply influenced me. Seeing Grandpa still smiling as he tends to his vegetable garden helps me better understand the importance of “cherishing the present” and “being grateful for life.” I hope that in the future, I too can face life with optimism and steadiness like him, allowing my life to shine even in its ordinariness.
我的阿公阿嬤生了很多小孩，他們在18歲時就結婚生下我大姑姑，中間又
陸續生了許多的姑姑和阿伯。到了他們28歲時，生下了我爸爸。也因為孩子
多，所以我和阿公阿嬤的關係沒有特別親近，雖然住得不遠，但平常很少往
來，通常只有過年或拜拜的時候才會去阿公家。
每逢節慶，我們家族都會聚在一起唱歌、跳舞表演給阿公阿嬤看，他們看
了總是笑得好開心。記得我阿嬤在我國小三年級的時候就過世了，印象中那時
她已經坐著輪椅，也不太能說話。阿公年輕的時候在礦場工作，後來快退休時
當上了里長，鄰里之間都非常喜歡他。他也很熱愛種菜，常常騎著摩托車到烘
爐地照顧菜園。以前我們家每天吃的菜，幾乎都是阿公親手種的，既營養又新
鮮。
小時候覺得阿公比較嚴肅，常常板著臉；但隨著年紀增長，他變得越來越
和藹，總是笑笑地和我們說話。現在阿公今年已經91歲了，身體依然健康，只
是走路變得比較慢。五年前的他還能健步如飛，如今看著他一年一年慢慢老
去，心裡總是感慨萬分。不過，他依然熱愛種菜，只是現在不再上山，而是在
平地種，依舊樂在其中。看著阿公一年一年慢慢變老，我常常感到心疼，也更
懂得生命的無常與珍貴。每次看到他仍努力照顧自己的生活、堅持活動，我都
深深地敬佩他。阿公那種不服老、堅毅的精神，是我最想學習的地方。現在跟
阿公相處的時間也越來越少，他的孫子女也都長大了，大家也都各自奔波，更
難有時間去看看阿公了，原本常常有家庭聚餐，現在也快沒有了。
回想阿公阿嬤的一生，他們經歷過艱苦的時代，也用雙手努力撐起整個家
庭。曾經也因為有點養不起，把姑姑送去別人家寄養，雖然我們相處的時間不
多，但他們的勤勞、堅毅與對生活的熱情，一直深深影響著我。看到阿公依舊
笑著照顧他的菜園，我更明白「珍惜當下」與「感恩生命」的重要。希望未來
我也能像他一樣，用樂觀與踏實面對生活，讓人生在平凡中閃光。