The Portrait They Never Took

This painting is to make up for the pity that my grandparents didn’t take a formal photo of their golden wedding anniversary (been married to each other for 50 years).
I grew up under their close care until I went to primary school. My grandfather was born in 1937 and my grandmother in 1941, an age of turbulence in China. They suffered from poverty and material scarcity when they were young, and they developed a habit of thrift in nearly every aspect of life. My grandfather was seriously ill in 2008, and since then, my grandmother has always taken great care of him without a single word of complaint. My grandfather used to be an athlete, but he can’t walk very well since the year when the right side of his body was almost paralyzed. He now uses an electronic wheelchair for mobility. He used to do all kinds of sports before the illness. He loved dancing, singing, and he was very good at them. He was so high-spirited and vigorous as seen in his old photos in a trip to Europe, which was a rare thing for a common family in China at that time when international travel just began to develop. He is always a very proud person and has a quick temper. In contrast, my grandmother is very modest, and she is forever very tolerant to him.
Deep down, my grandmother is a very proud person, too. After she recovered from COVID, she often felt powerless and easily exhausted. She became very upset and even ashamed of her body not keeping up anymore. She can’t allow herself to slack off, especially while bearing the arduous task of taking care of my grandfather, her life partner who requires attentive care all day long.