Unconditional Love

On this chilly night in NYC, as I was riding the N train home from my friends after a long coding session, several thoughts were running through my mind. First - dude, my face and ears are frozen. Second - why are there no good food spots on 57th street? Most importantly though, I found myself reminiscing.

As I made the mistake of getting off at Canal St, thinking a downtown Q would arrive, I started zoning out. I fixated on the thought of human relationships - our dynamics and how we portray love.

Later, after finally boarding the B from Barclays, a few scenes on the train resonated with me. There was a woman at 8pm with her two children, holding platters of food in her lap. “This woman reminds me of my mother,” I thought to myself. I realized how straining it must be juggling work and two young ones - she probably didn’t have time to cook. I wished I could do more for people like this, imagining a world where money wasn’t a constraint.

Then, I noticed these two young adults who were clearly in love. Their interaction reminded me of a typical NYC love story, much like the one portrayed in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse¹. Their genuine affection was heartwarming to witness.

Obviously, not all relationships will be characterized by unconditional love. But given how brief our lives are in the grand scope of the world, we should always try to exude love whenever possible!