People are like mirrors, but they’re uneven mirrors. Curved, bumpy, stained, or all of the above. Standing across them, our reflections are overly bloated in some areas, disproportionately slender in others. But most importantly, different uneven mirrors reflect different distorted images. In the same way, different people seem to reveal different versions of ourselves.
Do we like ourselves around certain people? Do we dislike who we become around others? Maybe this is how we choose our friends. Maybe it’s how we decide to finally let go. I wonder: how much of how we judge other people is based on how much we like ourselves when we’re around them?
What a gift it is to be able to tell someone, with all sincerity, that we like the version of ourselves when we’re with them, that it is our favorite version of ourselves, even. One can imagine being on the receiving end of such a sentiment.
But also, maybe the best mirror isn’t the one that reflects our “best” versions. Maybe we need a mirror that’s flat, clear, fog-free, and honest. Looking back—and looking around—my favorite people seem to be those who inspire me to be most myself.