The people who will never know they changed me

Some people stay for years. Other stay for 5 minutes.

I was thinking about this on my way back today. It's funny how I can barely remember what I had for lunch last Tuesday, but I still remember a conversation between stranger from years ago. Human memories is strange like that. It does not always keep the biggest moment. Sometime it quietly protects the smallest ones.

A few years back, I was travelling alone by train. It was one of those long journeys where everyone's slowly becomes comfortable enough to stop pretending they are strangers. There was an old women sitting across from me. We never exchange names. We didn't not even ask where the other person was from.

At one station, she opened the steel tiffin and look that me for a second.

"You will eat?" She asked.

I smiled and said, "No, thank you"

She looked that me again and said "You students always say that"

Before I could refuse again, she had already placed puri and some sabji on a paper plate and handed it to me.

I still remember eating that food while the train move with through fields.

I don't remember her face clearly anymore.

But I remember her kindness. And some how much that's enough.

We think people change us with the speeches.

I don't think that true anymore. Nobody ever set me down and give me life-changing advice. Instead, it was little things.

School teacher who once wrote "good observation" in red ink on an essay when I was not expecting any praise.

Chai seller near a bus stand rememberd exactly how I like my tea after meeting me only twice.

A senior and college who once told me relax you will figure it out without even know anxious I was that week.

None of these people probably remember those moments.

I do.

Maybe that the strange thing about kindness. The person giving it for gets. The person receiving it does not.

Growing up made me notice this.

When I was younger, I believed only family and close friends shaped who we become.

Now I don't think so.

We are stitched together by hundreds of tiny interactions.

Someone holds the lift for a school stop someone smiles when we are having a terrible day. Someone waves and extra few seconds because they saw us running towards the bus.

These moments don't make headlines. But they quietly restore your faith in human.

There have been days when I was so quarter pin deadlines on assignment that I forgot everyone around me was carrying their own invisible struggles too.

Then one small act of kindness from a complete stranger would remind me that the world is not as cold as I sometimes convince myself it is.

Maybe I have done this too.

Sometimes have wonder if I have unknowingly became one of those strangers in someone else story.

Maybe I want help to someone pick up books they dropped and forgot about it 5 minutes later..

Maybe a random compliment I gave actually state with someone. Maybe holding a door open change that solutely nothing. Or maybe... It changed more than I will ever know.

I will probably never find out. And honestly I think that's beautiful.

Not every meaningful thing in life come with closure.

I think that's one of my favourite things about being human.

We carry pieces of people who will never even know they become part of our story.