~ものだ (reflective/exclamatory)

A use of ~ものだ in which the speaker looks back on a past event with feeling — nostalgia, surprise, mild criticism, or admiration. Distinct from the general-truth ~ものだ ('people are like that'), the desire ~たいものだ ('I wish I could'), and the obligation ~ものだ ('one ought to'). Context disambiguates.