The Power of People

The Sunday manifested to be cold and dreary, and I could feel the vibes creeping their way into my mood. Quite honestly, there is not too much to do in Nice, France when it rains, so we found ourselves at the airport hours before our scheduled boarding time.

Before, our mood mimicked the weather, a bit dreary, but the hours of free time at the airport gave each of us a break to call loved ones and reflect.

I am sitting between two friends who are on the phone giving a moment by moment account of our weekend trip, and as I listen to them my mood feels immensely lighter and my heart feels so full.

Memory works in a curious way. We remember feelings over facts, the good over the bad, and the funny over the awkward. Pain and the sensation of cold disappear like intangible clouds of smoke. 

I hold back (unsuccessfully) fits of laughter as Victoria recounts her trip highlight to her boyfriend over FaceTime. She explains situations in such a way that the non-ideal situation seems hysterical and I hear Jen describe in detail how gorgeous our hike was. My attention is drawn back to Victoria as she remembers her absolute favorite part of the trip- meeting Aristotle (a random person at our hostel). 

The power of people is not to be underestimated. Victoria describes Aristotle as the most interesting and unique person that she has ever met. She seemed inspired as she spoke about how in tune with the world Aristotle seemed. I overhear her conclude that, “He is the most random type of person I could have expected to meet. He just reminded me to appreciate existence.” 

My mood has turned a 180. I feel so light hearted and reaffirmed by the fact that experiences allow our paths to cross with the most unexpected people; thus, bringing so much joy and enabling us to find common ground with people who live such different lives.