I repurchase the same oat milk every time I go to the grocery store, because someone I love recommended it to me. Old and current friends gave me the shows I turn on to binge-watch. The cream I use was gifted to me one Christmas evening, and I have repurchased it ever since. I buy concert tickets to my favorite band, not because I discovered them, but because an old friend convinced me to listen to one of their songs. Love is poured into my cup little by little from people who have either wavered into my life and stayed or made a pit stop and left.
People flow in and out of our lives, but no one leaves completely; they always leave a piece of themselves. You may not know it, but you’ve influenced someone’s life that you ventured into, even if it’s the tiniest part, like the brand of skincare they purchase. You left a piece with them, and they left a piece with you. You don’t expect someone to come into your life and change things up, but more often than not, that’s what happens. Through finding our people, we sometimes find pieces of ourselves we didn’t know were there.
You tend to know more about people through those who surround them because we borrow pieces from the people and influences around us. If you look deeply into yourself, you’ll see a reflection of everyone you’ve encountered, whether they are still right next to you or nowhere near you. Everyone influences you, whether you realize it or not. You borrow pieces of yourself from others, and sometimes it sticks with you, building up your mosaic.
You notice it in others, too. Maybe you played a song for your best friend in the car, and the next day she’s playing the same one. Your mom borrows your powder, and a couple of days later, you see bought her own, sitting on her vanity. Sometimes you might not ever know, a stranger waiting in line taps your shoulder, asking what perfume you’re wearing, and later that day they pick it up and wear it to a first date. We share pieces of our souls, and pieces of others’ souls catch our attention; it’s a beautiful process of putting together our mosaic and helping others put theirs together.