Have you ever stopped to think about how your interactions with people you know have effects on you? How their personalities, likes, dislikes, thoughts, actions, basically the whole nine yards, may rub off on you? A simple example of what I'm saying is this. When you take interest in someone, you begin to care about the things they like and may even come to like them yourself. But how about those that you may be close to, but not in a romantic way? Say a friend for example. Could be one you see all the time or one you hardly ever see, but still care about.
I bring this up because it's been something that's on my mind recently. I've got a really good friend who's really into video games. I'm not a big gamer by any means. But the major one I do play was because of his influence. Or my love for cars. Some of the cars or styles I like are based off a friends knowledge of them.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying my likes and hobbies are not my own, but they wouldn't be the way they are without influence. Winter has recently come to an end, except for Game of Thrones fans in which case it has just begun. If you know me, you know for a bona fide fact that summer is my season. And that the cold and I don't get along well at all. After December that also includes snow. As a kid I loved the stuff. The way it calmed the noise around it. Falling silently in the night and blanketing the land in it's frosty, magical array. It meant snow days from school, countless hours of building a snowman army, snow forts, and taking sledding to the extreme. I grew up and have lived all my life where winter makes it's presence harshly known year in and year out. So I should have some affection for it right? Not quite. Why the cold shoulder? Well...
...as I got older, I lost the magic I saw in it as a kid. And being older is the major difference. Because now driving in it has come into play. Not being able to do many outdoor things I love as an adult is another reason. Not having snow days from work doesn't help either. I could go on, but I don't want to sound like I wish it didn't exist...because that's not true either.
You see I had a friend who was very dear to me as a child. And I found out a number of years ago how much she loved the winter. Mainly through social media. Whenever I saw a post from her about how she loved the fluffy flakes, my perspective would change a little. Here was something that wasn't on my hot list, but she adored it. And because she adored it, every once in a while when I was in the elements, I'd begin to grumble, but remember her love for it, and my disdain would fade. And this was while she was still here.
I've written about her before. A few times a matter of fact. If you haven't read those posts, she was a childhood friend who had a great impact on my life that tragically passed in 2014. I'm not going to rehash that story, but if you're truly curious, go back to my posts from June of 2014.
Her birthday was in January. A Winter month. Makes perfect sense. So it's hard not to have her and her love for the winter on my mind around that time each year. But when Spring rolled around, I was overjoyed that it was here, but because it marked the end of winter. Even though I was joyous, I was struck with the thought I'm writing about now. And I was once again reminded that winter isn't all that bad. I honestly don't believe I'd find the few things I appreciate about winter if it wasn't for her. So each year, in the blackness of night, I'll stand in the midst of a silent snowfall. Staring. Not saying a word as the fragile crystals kiss the earth. It's bitterly cold. But I don't notice. I think of her and am thankful for the passion she had for the season. I take in the moment, then eventually return to the warmth of my house. Peaceful. Restful. All for a small amount of appreciation for something that I usually don't find any appreciation for.
There are other examples I could use, but this one is the strongest with me right now. Maybe take a minute to think about your hobbies, passions, interests, loves. And see how much they were influenced by those around you. Then see how your state of being changes.
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