It was last year around Christmas time. My mom asked me to take out the new mistletoe-scented candles, bring them to the kitchen, and light them. I took the candles, lit the wicks, and stared as they began to melt. The candles were exactly the same to begin with, but as time passed by, the wax melted, dripped down the sides. A couple hours elapsed, and it was time to blow the candles out. Despite the fact that the same candles burned for the same amount of time, they each looked significantly different, as they melted into completely unique shapes.

And this is when I realized that the candles were like people— that we are candles.

Here’s what I mean by that.

We, as humans, all start out the same. Flesh, blood, bones, and skin. But we are molded and shaped by our experiences, our ups and downs, our upbringings. Some of us turn out to be a lot nicer than others on the exterior, while others not so nice— just as some candles look appealing, even after being lit, while others are left utterly deformed.

But at the end of the day, they are all made of the same wax, and have the same wicks running through them.

And at the end of the day, we are ALL Earth inhabitants, ALL people, ALL human beings, ALL individuals.

So as we enter this new, yet exciting world of college, let’s keep this in mind. Let’s steer clear from judging a person because of their appearance, because of their outward presentation. Let’s drop our cool cards, prejudices, and prior assumptions, because we are all in this together, we are all one. Talk to people you wouldn’t usually talk to; Reach out to those who seem unapproachable, and listen to their story, because chances are, you’ll have more in common than you might think.

I mean—you both bleed green and gold, so there’s a good starting point. And from there, more similarities are bound to unfold.

So be bold. Take chances. Open up. Because as Mandy Hale once said, “To make a difference in someone’s life, you don’t have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful, or perfect. You just have to care.”