The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of her campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus chapter at UCF.

“There you go again, that funny feeling.”

Bo Burnham said this line in “That Funny Feeling”. But what does it refer to? I would describe the feeling as an overwhelming warmth spreading throughout my body as I pass and smile at a stranger on the streets. This could also be a feeling of pure serenity, driving among several other cars, knowing that each one is carrying someone going to their destination, a feeling I could not find the word for until now.

Sonder is that moment when you discern that every person you pass has a life as complex and complicated as yours. This is such a random word that you may never have heard of it, let alone know that you have experienced it. Sonder represents the sudden realization that everyone is just living life.

I used to work in this huge apartment complex with enormous floor to ceiling windows. Whenever I would finish my shift at 2am and leave, I would take a second to look up and be at the moment. I would notice people on the balcony sharing stories while smoking a cigarette. I would see the glowing screens of a movie or show as someone intently watched. I could see a person preparing a meal. What were these people talking about? What was on that person’s TV that they stayed up so late watching? Would the guy cooking be willing to make me a plate while he was at her place? I enjoyed standing there for a second, taking it all in.

A sense of calm came over me as I lived in the moment and thought about how each person in that apartment complex was experiencing life for the first time. Everyone had their own story with their struggles, dreams, aspirations and desires. Whatever their past was and whatever their future held, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter because they were currently here.

The people you passed on your way to class or work made choices in their lives both a long time ago and this very morning that brought them to the same place as you for a split second . I often wonder when I pass someone if they could be an important part of my life. Could the guy I pass in the lecture hall every day on my way to my seat be my future husband? Could the girl I greeted in the halls have the potential to be my best friend? Or could these just be random people who are just here to comfort me in the form of knowing they’re around? For a small moment in time, our lives intersect as we share the idea that people out there are going through life the same way you are going through yours.

I find solace in the thought that we all have things that make us unique. We each have personal memories, relationships, daily routines, hopes and challenges. The people you pass in the store while standing in line are all living lives as vivid as yours.

I have come to find the state of being sonder as an underlying force in my life. It helps me feel more connected to others, even if I don’t stop for a second and get to know them. Sonder connects us all in a world so big that sometimes it makes us feel alone. It reminds us that there is a small relief in knowing that we can share our humanity with those around us.

Life is interconnected through a chain of experiences that connect us. Sonder reminds us that we all share the same human essence. Those we may not agree with or understand come from the same background we do—each full of life, loss, fear, and hope. Once we begin to understand that all our lives are woven into one tapestry of stories, we begin to see the depth of other lives.

That guy who cut you off in traffic this afternoon? Maybe he was rushing to the hospital for the baby’s birth, or maybe he was just a jerk. That server that gave you attitude? She may have had what she felt was the worst day of her life. Regardless of how others around you act, embracing sonder means embracing compassion. It means that you allow your heart to empathize with all who share their joys and sorrows.

To me, sonder is more than a word. It’s a sense of happiness and sadness that I look for in hard times. Sitting there and thinking how you’re a heartbeat among millions is bittersweet. To understand Sonder is to understand both happiness and sadness while embracing that our experiences are part of a shared human existence.

Sonder is like looking through a window on a rainy day – you can see bits and pieces of someone, but never enough to see the full picture. There are so many people we will never meet, hear or interact with, touch or hold. People live in their right, just as you live in yours. We will never be able to know everyone we have ever interacted with. What we can do is appreciate the short time we have with them before we part ways. Sonder invites us to appreciate the reality that everyone carries something meaningful with them. We may never be there for each other the way we might hope to be, but we can keep our hearts open for those we will never know.