That morning wasn’t special — but it wasn’t ordinary either.
A light breeze. Quiet streets. The smell of charcoal came before I even saw the cart.
Rows of grilled pork on skewers. Sticky rice wrapped in soft brown paper, tucked inside a clear plastic bag with a little steam fogging the inside.
The woman handed it to me without a word — like she already knew I needed it.
Not because I was starving.
Not because it was the best I’ve ever had.
But because the smell… took me back.
Back to a morning I once stood in the same kind of street corner with someone who isn’t here now.
Back to a time when the day didn’t need planning.
Back to the feeling of “enough” — before the day even began.
Some things warm your hand
before they warm your stomach.
And some — warm your heart with the very first bite.
Grilled pork and sticky rice might be the most ordinary Thai breakfast.
But sometimes, the most ordinary things… are the ones your heart remembers longest.