When asked what advice he would give to the younger generation, Elie Wiesel,the Nobel-Prize winning writer, teacher and activist stated,“Think higher, feel deeper. Don’t treat other people as adversaries. Respect them. When you are out in your community, think higher, and when you are face to face with another human being, feel deeper. Be more of whatever you are. We are here for a very brief time. Do something remarkable with every moment.”
Ally wanted ‘Think Higher, Feel Deeper’ incorporated into a tattoo she had designed. “For every life experience, I always worry about becoming a zombie and just walking through life without intention. I think that quote will hold me to a higher standard in regards to my actions and behaviors,” she wrote to her sister, Emily.
Getting a tattoo these days is more a rite of passage than an act of rebellion. As Ally put it, “I keep telling myself that this moment and age is just as valid as when I’m 50. Maybe I’ll regret it, but I don’t want to value my future regret and adulthood over my experiences now. I feel like that is a common mistake.”
Ally described the design she wanted. “So I’ve always liked trees because the rings build off of each other and each one strengthens the tree – sometimes so slowly that it’s hard to understand in the moment. That’s how I feel about life experiences too. Your experiences develop you into a stronger person even if it’s hard to understand. Each time you meet a person, you leave a mark on them (finger print) and we have a responsibility to leave only good marks, leave good impressions, and consciously put positive energy into the world,” she wrote.
Ally may be gone in body, but her rings are still growing, and she’s still leaving fingerprints.
