What does connection mean to you?
Is it the warmth of a late-night conversation with someone who just gets you? The quiet understanding in a shared glance? Or maybe it’s the way your heart expands when you find a song, a book, or even a character in a movie that mirrors something deep inside you. I believe it is all these and then more. Or perhaps there is truly no box to fit the word "connection" into. But for me, well, here's how I see it.
For the longest time, I thought connection was about proximity, about how often I saw someone or how much time we spent together. But as I grew older, I realized it’s not about the frequency of interactions, but the depth. I’ve been in rooms full of people I know and felt like a stranger. I’ve also exchanged three sentences with someone and felt like I had known them forever. Connection isn’t about being physically close; it’s about being seen.
One of the biggest shifts in my understanding of connection came with my relationship with my mother. There was a time I saw her just as a parent, someone who made rules, scolded me when I got out of line, and expected perfection in ways that felt overwhelming. But the moment I realized she was once a young girl too, one who probably had dreams, fears, and uncertainties just like me, I saw her differently. She wasn’t just my mother, she was a woman navigating life the best way she knew how. That realization changed everything. I started listening to her beyond just the role she played in my life. We became friends. And now, our bond is stronger than ever, not because we talk every day, but because we understand each other. I finally see her and finally hears me.
I’ve learned that true connection doesn’t always require pretty words. Sometimes, it’s in the way someone notices you’re not okay before you even say a thing. It's the way a friend can complete your statement even before you finish it. It’s in the small gestures, the way a friend remembers how you like your tea, or how someone saves a meme because it reminded them of you or someone sending you a music lyrics before they think you'll like it. Connection is effortless effort, if that makes sense. It’s not forced, it just is.
The beautiful thing is, connection isn’t just limited to people. I feel deeply connected to my craft, to my love for voiceover, storytelling, and helping women embrace their femininity. There’s something magical about using my voice to create an impact, to inspire, to make people feel. It’s the same with fashion and beauty, not just as aesthetics, but as tools of self-expression and building a high self-esteem. When I put on an outfit that makes me feel powerful, that’s connection. When I see a woman transform because she finally sees herself the way I do—beautiful, confident, unstoppable—that’s connection.
And then there’s the connection we have with ourselves. It’s the most important one, yet the hardest to nurture. Because how can we expect deep, meaningful connections with others if we don’t first build them within ourselves? I’ve had to sit with myself, confront my fears, unlearn toxic patterns, and relearn who I truly am outside of external expectations. And let me tell you, that self-awareness? That self-love? It changes everything. When you truly know yourself, you attract connections that align with your soul, not just your circumstances.
At the end of the day, connection is in the moments, embracing vulnerability, and allowing yourself to be seen; flaws, scars, and all. It’s about recognizing that we’re all just people trying to find our place in the world, hoping someone will say, I see you, I hear you, I understand you. Because sometimes, that’s all we really need.
This is what connection means to me.
All images are mine
Thank you for reading! :)
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