bhaskar saikia

In her hauntingly reflective novel Good Morning, Midnight, Lily Brooks-Dalton poses two profound questions: What is left at the end of the world? and What is the impact of one’s life? These questions linger like whispers long after the final page — a quiet yet powerful reminder of our impermanence. Adapted into the 2020 film The Midnight Sky, directed by and starring George Clooney, this story invites us to pause and reflect on the fragile yet enduring traces we leave behind.

When everything familiar falls away — when cities are silent, and the world feels hollow — what remains? Perhaps it’s not the material things we’ve built but the memories we’ve created, the love we’ve shared, and the moments that shaped others in ways we may never fully realize. Relationships, kindness, and the wisdom we impart — these are the imprints that defy oblivion.

The impact of a life is often subtle, like ripples spreading across a still pond. It’s found in the quiet conversations that altered someone’s path, the comfort offered in a time of need, or the ideas that sparked new ways of thinking. Even in isolation — as Clooney’s character faces the vast emptiness of the Arctic — the echoes of past connections offer warmth and meaning.

In the end, perhaps our greatest legacy isn’t found in grand achievements but in the quieter moments: the stories we tell, the compassion we show, and the way we make others feel. Long after we’re gone, those moments carry forward — like flickering stars in an endless sky — illuminating paths we may never witness.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s enough.