For as long as I can remember, my home has always been decorated with snow globes. Once they were on a bookshelf, positioned right around the entrance of the house. Every morning it glimmered every time it was shone by the morning sun. Standing in their glory, knowing their important role in my family’s life: Mementos for every place either of us have visited, keepsakes for all the memories that have been made.
From these snow globes, I learned that no matter how everything changes with time, it is important to carry the past with me. Not because what happened in the past is better. But because it represents the process and the journey, where I learn and grow and become who I am today. Honouring the past means remembering where I came from and what I have gone through. So I started collecting small, mundane things, like movie tickets, receipts, train tickets, or postcards. In case in the future, I need to remember the long winding road I have overcome to understand who I am and develop even further.
Ayunda Damai 