Does looking at old photos make you feel sad?

[MrsDeaconClaybourne]

Is this something that happens inevitably at a certain age?

My mum was 80 recently so I had a good sort through some (old style printed) photos to find some of her over the years.

It left me feeling just a bit sad and melancholic- seeing how much she'd aged, especially over the last few years; seeing how much I'd aged (and DH) and how fab I looked when I was younger and didn't realise it; pictures of EXs; loved ones who are no longer with us

Now photos are digital I think we see older ones more often - they pop up as memories and people share them etc. Don't think it will be such a shock, for want of a better word, in the future as we'll look at them more frequently and not notice the passing of time so much.

Yes I know what you mean I feel sad to see my parents getting older and knowing that they won't be around forever. I do feel a bit sad looking at old photos of myself, while I was never a beauty I was a lot better looking than I thought with a nice figure but I always felt I was fat and ugly and really quite hated myself, hated to make any effort and now that makes me sad because I can see now I was pretty enough to have worn certain things and enjoyed my youthful good looks.

I also just feel sad at the passing of youth and the openness of life. Sure I could up and start a new life in my 40's but it isn't the same as being young, wondering who you will end up with and what you will end up doing in life, will you have children etc. So many closed doors now and seeing how quickly ageing comes to us, no matter what we tell ourselves we aren't still young at 50+.

If I could wave a magic wand I would love to go back knowing what I do now and have a do over.