Today I visited my maternal ancestral homes on Hainan Island, China. While it was great to be able to visit, see the interesting architecture, and hear stories from the older folks in our travelling party, my immediate relatives who once lived there have all moved to the city or simply lost contact. We did however, meet some elderly folk, with the same surname, who had returned to the village to enjoy a retired country life. They did treat us like long lost relatives though... I was touched by their hospitality. Now while the physical villages itself had an interesting appearance, I could not help but feel the emptiness of the homes that once raised my great grandfathers. Time had wiped out all trace of them ever being there. A reminder that our time on earth is temporary. The memories we create today is the legacy we create for tomorrow and generations to come.

tracingroots #family