Dear Readers,
It is generally understood that we are constantly changing—our brain building and destroying neural pathways, cells dividing and dying every second. So I begin to wonder at a fundamental level, if the self is always changing, how do we understand who we are? A few months ago, I read The Art of Living by Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He proposed a concept of interbeing—that rather than an individual, we are a continuation of our ancestors and a product of our environment and experiences. Are we then not only a product of our parents’ DNA but a product of their words, values, dreams and even their frustrations? Every time someone influences us, do they change our brain?

And when I asked myself who I was, what I was made of, my answer always came back to my family. I am my dadi, my dad’s mom, fierce in her love, who immigrated to America with no money but in her nicest sari. I am my nana, my mom’s dad, who never got the chance to graduate college in India and dedicated his life to ensuring his children could. I am my nani, a matriarch who loves taxes, math and sweets. I am my dada, a proud head of his family, hard-working and measured. I am a son whose parents told him anything was possible and a brother who binge-watches television with his older sister.

In this spring edition of Optic, our talented writers have taken on the task of exploring the fundamental concept of family. Family is complicated, and what it means varies significantly from person to person. However, I believe that the concept of family is universal—whether it be found or biological, family represents the group of people that care about you and shape you. For some, family ties them to the past, a rich cultural heritage, traditions, foods and stories, that defines their identity and empowers them. For most, in some way, family defines their future, whether it be the parenting styles they were raised with or societal expectations around family structure.

This edition of Optic is one of people and their stories. It is an insight into the influences that make up our interbeing and a celebration of who we are. Creating this magazine has been a wonderful chance to learn more about our team, the things that make each of us unique, and the ways we are all bound together.

I only hope that you enjoy reading this edition as much as we have enjoyed making it.