I think sometimes in the focus on deep friendships and on

“I think sometimes in the focus on deep friendships and on romantic relationships, we can lose sight of how important the small connections we make are with strangers and with people that we may encounter for just a few seconds or a few minutes, whether it’s the barista at our coffee shop or the stranger next to us on the subway.” Thus speaks Vivek Murthy, healer of bodies and spirits, reminding us of a truth as ancient as humanity itself: that life is not woven only of grand bonds, but also of the fleeting connections that brush against our days like sparks in the dark.

For it is easy to exalt the deep friendship and the romantic relationship—they are lasting, rich, weighty with memory and promise. Yet what of the smile given to a stranger, the nod of recognition to one passing by, the kind word to the weary worker? These do not last in years, but they live in moments, and moments have the power to alter the soul. A single kind glance can brighten a day otherwise heavy with despair. A word of recognition can remind one that they are seen, and to be seen is to be alive.

The ancients told stories of such fleeting encounters. Recall the tale of Diogenes the Cynic, who wandered Athens with his lamp in search of an honest man. To the casual passerby, his words may have seemed strange or comical, but in those brief interactions, he planted seeds of reflection. Many walked away from him changed, even if for only a moment. Such is the power of the small connection: it may not bind for life, yet it awakens something eternal.

History, too, gives us examples. During the dark years of the Second World War, countless testimonies speak of strangers who offered food, shelter, or even a smile in passing. A soldier remembered the child who handed him bread. A refugee remembered the neighbor who pointed the way to safety. These gestures, lasting only seconds, lived forever in memory. The weight of human history was often lightened by the brief kindness of strangers.

Murthy’s wisdom reminds us that in neglecting these moments, we risk forgetting a central truth: that every soul longs for recognition. To speak to the barista, to acknowledge the stranger on the subway, is to affirm their humanity and our own. It is to say, “You matter, if only in this moment.” And that moment may ripple further than we ever know. The one uplifted by a word today may be the one who carries hope to another tomorrow.

The lesson, then, is simple yet profound: do not underestimate the power of small connections. Care for your deep friendships, tend your romances, but also honor the fleeting strangers life places in your path. Offer your kindness freely, for it costs little but may mean much. In a world where many feel invisible, the smallest acknowledgment can be a miracle.

Therefore, dear listener, walk through the world with eyes open and heart ready. Do not pass by others as shadows, but greet them as fellow travelers. A smile, a nod, a word—these are not trivial things, but the fabric of human fellowship. As Murthy teaches, life is not sustained only by the great bonds, but by the countless sparks of fleeting connection that remind us that we are never truly alone. And when you honor both the great and the small, you live as one who understands the full breadth of what it means to be human.