Nishitha Gopinath Week 12 - Tapestries

                                                                                               Tapestries

    We like to believe that we are made of singular, thoroughly original parts–our own thoughts, our own choices, our own identity. But in reality, we are nothing more than a collection of echoes. An artfully quilted tapestry of every person we’ve ever met. 

    I understand how that can be perceived negatively, the idea that as we grow older and interact with a diverse range of people, we will never be able to truly distinguish between the traits that are inherently ours and the traits that we’ve subconsciously adopted. 

    And although that can be a jarring thought, I like to think of it this way: we are all mosaics of all the people we have loved. I’ve built a vast lip gloss collection over the years because my best friend started the tradition of giving me one for my birthday ever since I was thirteen. I have the overpowering urge to learn as many languages as I can because my mom took my face in her hands and gently wiped the tears running down my cheeks when I was struggling to learn English at three years old, telling me wistfully about the beauty of communication and the gaps it can bridge. I remind myself to be kind, loving, and unwaveringly supportive for the people around me because of one of my closest friends, who wears her heart on her sleeve and gives herself to others without question. I relish my dream of someday becoming a mother when I see my cousin, and the way she holds her daughter like she’s cradling the entire world in her arms. 

    Pieces of people stick to us like paint, barely noticeable at first, until we look back and realize that we’re not the same person we used to be. 

    But the same works the other way around too. Just as we carry pieces of others, we can also leave fragments of ourselves behind. There are people out there who still laugh to themselves at a joke you told them years ago, who still think about a compliment you gave them in passing, who still remember a phrase you used to say without even realizing it came from you. We live on in other people in ways we’ll never see. 

    As our graduation looms closer, as the future begins to seem overwhelmingly wide and uncertain (sorry for the reminder), it’s easy to believe the connections we’ve built will fade, and the people we love will eventually slip away from us. The truth, however, is that we leave imprints on each other in more permanent ways than we can ever comprehend. We exist in the habits we pass on, the words we once spoke, and the ways we made others feel seen. 

    So what I’m trying to get around to is, don't underestimate the powerful influence you have on the people around you. The moments that may feel insignificant now–an inside joke, a shared smile, or a reassurance–might just become the very things they hold onto years from now. 

    And in the same way, cherish the time you have with the people you love. Take in their laughter, their quirks, the little things they do that you’ll one day catch yourself mimicking without even thinking.