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

by Esther Lightcap Meek, D.C. Schindler (Foreword)

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.

146 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 20, 2025

About the author

Esther Lightcap Meek (BA, Cedarville College; MA, Western Kentucky University; PhD, Temple University) is Professor of Philosophy emeritus at Geneva College. She is a Makoto Fujimura Institute Scholar, a member of The Polanyi Society, and an Associate Fellow with the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology.

Esther is the author of four books and several publications which express philosophical insights in every-day language for all of us. She also gives courses, workshops and talks for high schools, colleges and graduate institutions, as well as for businesses, churches, and other organizations.