For those who don’t know or have never noticed, there is a hidden gem somewhere in Union Station, downtown Toronto. My best friend and I were ready to go home from a well-spent evening in the brightly lit city with our stomachs full, jackets zipped to the top, and our friendship bracelets tightly secured. Walking through the subway station is far from glamorous but what we stumbled across was priceless: a wall full of writing.
The wall was covered from top to bottom; messages of inspiration, dreams, professions of love, drawings, jokes and calls for justice. Many footsteps have walked through Union Station, and for many different reasons. That wall may be invisible to those who are hustling and bustling, while some may take a moment and pause. Clearly, many people have chosen to stop, paying homage to messages before by adding their own. The wall invites people to be part of something, showcasing how words connect to actions of the past, present and future.
I didn’t even know where to look, as my eyes were grazing over words that I felt deeply connected to yet had never written. How could a stranger’s message be so profoundly uplifting without any recognition? Perhaps the authors wrote a message to support themselves, but little do they know that their thoughts, emotions and feelings in public support so many others. The beauty of words is that they remain forever – for as long as that wall is not covered up.
These are the little moments that inspire me and bring such technicolor to the city that I love. I also felt like I was in Letters to Juliet, leaving a part of me somewhere else. I spent time looking at one section, reading all that I could find.
Here are some of my favorite messages from strangers, whose creative messages hold great knowledge and wisdom that I want to share. Most of all, they are simply iconic.
Having a supportive network of friends.
Friendships are sacred and needed, especially during these unprecedented times.
Life is about decision/direction. Make the right ones.
This is way easier said than done, but your gut knows best.
If you have to ask if its cheating ITS CHEATING!
Self-explanatory in itself!
Ricordati che sei speciale.
Affirmations of self-love are even more beautiful in different languages.
Love is real you just need to find the right one.
I know not everyone has this mindset, and that’s okay. But I hope they change for themselves.
Mitch Marner is bae.
100% the truest thing! #16 has my heart.
BE OPEN TO HEARING EVERYONE’S STORY!!! WE ALL COME FROM SOMEWHERE.
Having an open mind will also open doors.
To share the space with simple living things.
Acknowledge the land we live on and preserve its beauty.
Look after your mother.
The first thing that popped into my mind after reading was this: “We as mothers stand still so our daughters can look back to see how far they have come” (Barbie 2023).
The source is unnamed. The heart still enamored.
Oh, how hearts can feel so deeply. Thank you to this unnamed source who captured this complex and raw human emotion.
How could we have left without leaving a mark?
“Sof’s 22nd 11.07.23”
If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that lipstick serves as a great pen. So, here’s to friendship (and friendship bracelets), enjoying every moment and savoring it, manifesting happiness (and a future husband IYKYK) and making memories… all through wall writing.