Contributed the piece “I Am Who I Am From Everyone I Met” to PERSPEKTIF Magazine Volume 24, themed Mosaic. The essay reflects on identity and personal growth, drawing inspiration from the people and experiences that have shaped me.
Transcript:
I Am Who I Am from Everyone I Met
There are days where I feel like a ghost in my own life—breathing, moving, talking but wondering: if I disappeared, would anything change? Would the world keep spinning without pause? Would the mosaic of life even notice a missing piece?
I think most of us ask this—we wonder if we matter; if we’re replaceable; if our presence has weight or if we are just another side character passing by in someone else’s main-character story.
But when I pause, take a seat with myself and look back, I see something unexpected. Amongst the crowd of people who’ve made up my life, I see the faces of quiet architects–those who have built me without blueprint or intention. A teacher. A friend. A stranger. A heartbreak. A kindness.
And it hit me: I am who I am from everyone I have met.
Every lesson, every scar, every spark of joy I carry, it has someone’s name behind it. This is not a grand declaration, it’s a quiet truth. The people in our lives shape us in the way we don’t even notice until later.
This is my mosaic, made up of borrowed fragments, all pressed into place:
The Kind Stranger
It was a blink of a moment. I was walking to class, half lost in thought, when someone stopped me. “I love your skirt!”, she said, with a kind of joy that emanated from the depths of her heart–true and genuine. I smiled and thanked her, we shared a laugh, and continued walking to the direction we were each headed. I never saw her again, but the warmth she radiated stayed with me.
From her, I learned to give voice to the compliments I once kept hidden—letting them go even to strangers—because she showed me that kindness loses nothing when it’s shared.
An Old but New Friend
We knew each other from high school—albeit barely—but university gave us a second start. I left the country while he stayed. We go to different universities, with too many kilometres separating us apart. Somehow with how this earth works, we started being friends again. It’s like when we talk, we fall into an old rhythm we did not know we had.
From him, I learned to actively cherish the people I have in my life while I have them, no matter how far apart we both are.
A Friend I Had To Let Go
We met through work, and at first, everything felt a little forced–customary, maybe, for most relationships that begin in such spaces. But over time, our conversations grew deeper, and so did our connection. I could say the most ridiculous things, and he’d meet me with honesty and ease. Eventually, life pulled us in different directions. We both tried to hold on, but had to let go. I was devastated. Still, what we shared was genuine.
From him, I learned not to cling too tightly to everyone who enters my life, but instead to show up fully—genuine, present, and open; no matter how long someone stays.
How My Dad Begins the Day
Every morning, almost without fail, I open the windows–just enough to let the sun stretch across the floor and the air stir the stillness. It’s a habit I borrowed from my dad, who believed fresh air and a bit of sunlight could ignite a day. He just did it, quietly, day by day. Back then, I didn’t understand, but now I get it.
From him, I learned how to start my day in a simple yet intentional way—a quiet reminder to myself that I’m ready to face and embrace whatever the day brings.
Countless souls have left their fingerprints on who I’ve become. Some I remember clearly;others, only in feeling—a passing comment, a shared silence, a gesture of care when I least expected it. They’ve all left something behind. I am made up of all these small moments, and the people behind them. We don’t move through life untouched. We change, and we are changed. So when I wonder if I matter, I remind myself: just as others have shaped me, I’ve likely shaped someone too—and that’s enough.