Glimpses of the Past

I came across a batch of cards
I hadn't seen in years;
And suddenly, before my eyes,
My past just reappears.

Wedding cards is what they were,
From friends of long ago,
Some of whom remain real close,
While some I barely know.

There were wishes written
By the students I had taught.
Names were unfamiliar,
Though providing food for thought.

Where are all those students now,
Grown-up and teacher-free?
If somebody brought up my name,
Would they remember me?

Some well-wishers left my life;
Others now are dead.
Reading words they wrote back then
Played havoc with my head.

My son is getting married soon,
His cards not yet composed.
I wonder in his future if
Such thoughts will be exposed.

I hope, like me, in thirty years,
He still will feel quite smitten
Though his wedding wishes
By some strangers will be written.

A lifetime passes quickly by,
But glimpses of the past
Remind you both of things to come
And some that do not last.