My wife and I had a scare with our cattle dog Panda the other night. As she followed my wife upstairs, her legs gave out and she collapsed. Nothing sinks your heart faster than seeing your pet in distress. After a long night at the animal hospital, we learned she’d likely eaten something toxic.

A few days of rest later, she was back to her bouncy self, ready for her morning café routine. At 6:30am, there are usually four or five other pups gathered outside, tails wagging as owners catch up on news from the week.

These interactions—smiles, eye contact, “Good morning”—are simple yet essential. They add to the depth of the social space we share.

We can forget how important it is to cultivate these spaces. For the more introverted, it takes effort. But a warm smile or genuine check-in can make a surprising difference—sometimes more than we’ll ever know.