Have our paths crossed?

"When two people meet, each one is changed by the other so you've got two new people." 

John Steinbeck

We are inextricably connected to all the individuals we meet.  Every-single-one-of-them.    There is no such thing as an insignificant moment.  There is no such thing as an insignificant encounter.  Each meeting, each conversation, each smile, they are all of consequence.  From the stranger you exchanged a glance with, to the boy you  shared a kiss with, once upon a time.  It all matters.

There was once a time where I pleaded with my heart to just let go.  It is so much easier to let go, isn't it?  To forget all the memories, to simply shut out those individuals that caused you so much hurt.  Well, I don't feel like that anymore.  It matters.  Even the hurt, the pain, the tears.  In the grand scheme of things, all those bits of your life matter.  The consequential and the inconsequential, every second holds weight in the journey of your life.

Which leads me to this glorious evening.  For a good five minutes I sat staring at the computer screen.  Staring into the glare of my reflection.  And, the same resounding thought came to me, as it always does.  Am I thought of as much as I think of others?  Right now, is there someone, somewhere, thinking about whether or not he or she has crossed my mind?  And, if you need an answer, then yes, they have.  I think of all the lives I have somehow touched.  I think of all the lives that have touched mine.

This photograph seems like a lifetime ago.  I admit, I am horrible at keeping in touch.  It is quite shameful at times, to be honest.  Yet, not a moment goes by when I don't sit and think of each and every one of you.  I imagine the moments we shared, close my eyes, and smile.  I hold each of you like a memory of a wonderful and beautiful summer, tucked away safely in the corner of my heart.  My life was  forever changed in our chance encounter.  It was made fuller, greater, better.  

So, the next time you meet someone, remember, you could be exactly what their soul is looking for.

xoxo