A smile and two words, “good morning” accomplish what hours of conversation sometimes cannot. They say your existence is not incidental to me. Your presence registers. The world is different because you are in it. This recognition feels essential because it is essential. We are social creatures who find meaning through connection, and there is no purer connection than one offered before either person has decided who they need to be that day. Perhaps what we truly crave is not the greeting itself but the evidence it provides. Evidence that we matter to someone beyond our utility or accomplishments. Evidence that being alive and being here is enough. In a world that constantly asks us to justify our existence through productivity and achievement, a morning acknowledgment offers something radical…unconditional recognition. So when someone looks at you with warmth and says “good morning,” they are doing more than observing the time of day. They are performing a small act of witness, confirming that you have returned to the shared experience of being alive, and that your return is noted and celebrated. May we all be fortunate enough to wake to such grace.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​☕️