This is how to make the best matcha latte. Swipe. Come study with me for four hours straight. Swipe. Follow along for a day in the life of a… Swipe.
From watching videos of homemade drink recipes to productive study vlogs to creators hopping on new trends, I have seen it all, with one swipe leading to another, and this motion can continue on for hours. Of course the logical decision would be to just close the app after being dissatisfied with the first choice of content the algorithm presented to me, but that never happens. I usually don’t even find the first video I click on my feed interesting, but, nonetheless, I continue to swipe with the hope that I will eventually land on videos that appeal to my mood at that moment.
However, even after I come across a video that captures my attention, I will continue to scroll, telling myself I’ll stop once I feel a sense of satisfaction, although the feeling never comes. Instead, I’ll stop when my eyes have dried out and my brain has been overcome with fog. Sometimes, the “stop scrolling” themed videos can expedite the process, but I’ll typically surf the temptation until multiple of them have appeared, and I finally take the advice and anchor my phone down for good.
With the gift of time spring break had allotted to me, scrolling on social media naturally found its place in my days. However, I came across a TikTok video that shockingly made me divert from going down the usual path of endless scrolling. The video was not one that used the phrase “stop scrolling” in a cautionary manner. It instead employed a soft and uplifting tone while incorporating the symbol of flowers as a reminder to stay present to nudge me back into reality.
In the wise words of the Floral Designer Kristen Griffith VanderYacht, “Flowers are not supposed to last. Their job is to help us to stay in the present. They grow, they blossom, they thrive and then they’re gone.”
I have never thought about this aspect of flowers before. Naturally, upon receiving or purchasing them on special occasions, I have an inner desire to make them last as long as possible. I’ll trim the stems off, transport them to a clean vase full of fresh water and place them on the breakfast table, an area that will not expose them to too much direct sunlight. But even when I treat them with the best care and place them in the ideal conditions, I am aware that I will still be met with devastation at their perishing. But, that’s the point. To not take the moments of their presence for granted because they only last for a moment after all.
Perhaps this also moved me because the weather has been getting warmer as spring has finally arrived. Although I do enjoy how the sun is out for longer and the weather has become fit for short sleeves and sundresses, I have actually never been too fond of the spring season. To me, it has always just served the role as an intermediate between the cold winters and hot summers, where getting summer to come about was the end goal.
There is no school in the summer, but there is still school during the months of spring. There are summer camps, summer vacation, summer heat, summer sunsets — a plethora of good times awaits us in the summer. Therefore, my mindset has long been to hope spring passes quickly, so I can engage in the fun summer has in store. But, I believe that it is time for a shift in mindset. I have not been giving the spring season enough credit for being a beautiful season of active growth. Flowers are currently blooming and I don’t want to be oblivious of it. The final moments of my freshman year are also blooming, as they soon will pass and I will only be left with the memory of it.
Sooner or later I will no longer be living in AMR II, losing track of time while yapping in the hall with friends past midnight. Sooner or later I will no longer have the convenience of the Hopkins Cafe being right next door. Sooner or later I will no longer be looking forward to having class and solving challenging problem sets together with the same people. Sooner or later I will no longer be a freshman.
I don't know what the future has in store for me, and I don’t need to know that now. All I need to know is that everyday, I am met with the opportunity to witness moments in full bloom, and I don’t want to simply glance over them and let them evolve into a faint distant memory of the past.
Catherine Chan is a freshman studying Molecular and Cellular Biology Potomac, Md. She is a Social Media Manager for The News-Letter. Her column consists of reflections on various moments in her life, from the distant past to the current present, in pursuit of discovering the underlying impact they have on her life’s story.
