There’s an old saying that “we are mosaics of everyone we’ve ever met.” Every person who crosses our path, that we’ve loved, lost or only briefly met, leaves behind a piece of themselves. Maybe it’s a phrase that slips into our everyday speech or a habit that has unknowingly become part of our daily routine. Over time, these little fragments build on each other, shaping the way we walk through life.
The Echoes We Carry
We carry people within us more than we realize. A favorite phrase, the way we laugh or even how you order a drink might not be entirely your own, but rather something borrowed from someone you once knew.
These aren’t random coincidences; they’re echoes of the people who’ve touched our lives. When these connections form, no matter how brief, they can change us. Their quirks, humor and habits mix with ours until it becomes impossible to separate where they end and we begin.
Memory as Living Artwork
People come and go. Sometimes they leave gradually and others all at once, but their influence rarely fades entirely. A certain scent might bring back a forgotten summer, or a song might remind you of someone you haven’t seen in years. Even when they’re gone, the people who once filled our days continue to shape us.
Each of us becomes a kind of living artwork. A collection of moments, conversations and shared experiences that form a larger story. Every person you’ve met adds their own brushstroke and creates something beautifully complex and imperfect.
The Beauty of Small Encounters
Not every piece of our mosaic comes from deep relationships. Sometimes, it’s the fleeting ones that stay with us, such as a smile or a compliment from a stranger. Every interaction adds something small but meaningful.
Seeing ourselves this way can be an act of self-love. It’s recognizing that we’re not just one singular thing, but evolving works of art. Always changing and growing, handpicked from the best pieces of everyone you’ve ever known.
Loving the Mosaic
To love yourself is to love the collection of people who’ve helped shape you. The friends, family and strangers that made you, you. Every person who has ever cared for you, challenged you or just simply shared a moment with you at some point becomes a part of your story. No one is made alone. Each of us is a mosaic that is forever changing and built from love and all of its forms.
Share an interaction that you think has helped shape you to be who you are today and make sure to tag us on Instagram @VALLEYmag!
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