_{Image from my personal gallery edited in Canva}

What is essential to me

There is a famous poem by Ecuadorian poet Jorge Carrera Andrade entitled Inventory of My Only Possessions, in which he lists situations or things in the world that are fundamental to the lyrical voice, those essential things that make life more extraordinary, magical, relaxed, and good. Just like in the poem, there are essential things for me that make life, to a large extent, a gift and a blessing.

Obviously, in principle, the essential things for me are not objects: there is my family, my friends, my home, my thoughts, my freedom. But if I had to list objects that lose the label of insignificant and acquire the label of important, I would undoubtedly have to start with windows. The windows of my home convey not only light, but also calm, surprise, nostalgia. The light that enters through the open windows gives me incredible energy. Looking out at the world through them is a careful, quiet, serene way of seeing. I see the sunrise, the afternoon, the old man walking, the dog barking: I make the big world outside my own.

Then there is my bed: my confidant, the one who knows about my insomnia and my exhaustion. I can sleep in other beds, but I will always miss mine. There is real pleasure in throwing myself between the familiar sheets, feeling the contours of the mattress as if it knew the exact weight of my body.

What can I say about my books that I haven't already said? My books are as valuable as what I have learned from them. Because it's not just the books, it's every feeling they have awakened in me, every piece of knowledge I have acquired, every moment I have experienced through each reading. I have 20 or 30 books to which I owe having so many universes within me, as well as the creativity to create new ones.

Another important thing is my computer. It is the object that allows me to earn some money to live on. It is my work tool and, as such, it occupies a fundamental place among the things that surround me. I am not attached to it, but I am certain that without it, I would not have the opportunities I have right now, not only to work and create content, but also the good fortune to make friends around the world.

Finally, there is a jacket that I inherited from my late grandmother, which, if I had to move to another country, would be one of the things I would take with me in my suitcase. That old jacket is just like any other jacket. What makes it different are the hands that gave it to me. It is the only tangible thing I have that my grandmother gave me, and perhaps that is why, every time I wear it, I feel like my grandmother is hugging me.

If I had to make a list of the things that are important to me, surely many of them would have value, but not price: they would have the value that I have given them.