The People Who Stay With Us

What happens when someone from your long-lost past suddenly appears? This is what Daphne Fuller faces in Whistler. While strolling through the museum with her husband, Johnathan, he notices that someone has been following them and thinks the person is interested in Daphne. After getting irritated about being pursued, Johnathan approaches the man. To Daphne’s surprise, the man ends up being her mother’s ex-husband, Eddie, whom she hasn’t seen in decades. This reunion brings up emotions and memories that she hasn’t thought about in years and raises many questions about past events that she is hesitant to ask. 

There are people that we meet long-term that will have effects on us, whether it is family, friends, neighbors, etc. Daphne has that with her mother. Daphne avoided the pitfalls of her mother’s failed marriages. Daphne’s mom knowingly chose men who valued their career or another person more than her because she hoped that they would eventually put her first. Daphne learned from her mother’s mistakes and did the opposite. She chose a spouse who replicated her feelings instead of chasing men who had no interest in her. 

One thing that helped solidify Daphne away from her mother’s habits was her relationship with Eddie, who was Daphne’s stepfather for less than two years. She saw Eddie as more of a father figure than her biological father and her current stepdad. She didn’t have to seek validation from him. He cared for her, encouraged her love for literature, which led to her career, and made her feel safe and brave during one of the scariest events of her life. Once Daphne and Eddie reconnect decades later, they realize how much they missed each other over the years and never want to break that bond ever again. 

Reading about Daphne’s and Eddie’s journey reminded me of interactions with people in my own life. My family definitely made a difference. My mom, being a nurse, knew about the medical system to get me better care and treatment. My sisters provided not only support but also encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone, and my dad helped me feel safe when the world seemed bleak. 

I understand the longterm effects that people have on us, but I didn’t realize how short meetings can affect people even years later until one of my earlier school jobs. I used to work in the registration office of my school. As I met each of the supervisors I had to report to and learned the rules of the job, I noticed that one of the supervisors kept an eye on me all day. I felt that maybe I made her mad, and was startled when she cornered me at the end of the day. I was expecting her to say something about my first day at work. However, she asked me if I ever worked at the calendar store at a local mall. 

The question took me off guard, but I told her I did. She said that she remembered me from a couple of years ago. She had a son who was mentally challenged and was having difficulty choosing a calendar. She said that I helped him to choose one, and she appreciated my time and patience. I was flattered, but I have no idea what she was talking about. My time at the job was fuzzy because it had been several years, and I had seen hundreds of customers during my time at that store. However, that moment was important to my supervisor because I had shown kindness when it normally didn’t happen for them. It reminds me that you can have an effect on people without even realizing it. 

After reading, I understand why Whistler is so highly regarded. Despite Daphne’s short time with Eddie, she found their relationship memorable. That is similar to a lot of people’s relationships with people. It is not always the length of time that impacts us, but the little moments that create the biggest change in us. In the spirit of the book, I ask the following question: What brief encounter had the biggest impact on your life?