The Mother's Smile: Philosophical Formation in the Welcome of Mothers and Friends

From birth, the intimate, face-to-face encounters of life form each person in a natural, everyday philosophy. Mother’s delighted welcome invites her tiny child into a fundamental vision of reality and models flourishing involvement with it. Sustained and matured in the gaze of certain friends throughout life, seeing oneself being seen with delight grows a “yes” to the world, a sense of one’s existence, a regard for others, and a lifelong desire for the face of God. In this modern age skewed by a philosophy of isolation, suspicion, and critique, returning to a primal philosophy of welcome brings personal and cultural healing. It heightens wonder and wisdom, professional and every-day. And it means that people render profound philosophical service when they delight in their children and friends.