I don’t remember the exact moment it became a habit.

I just remember where it started.

On our babymoon in St. Lucia, we noticed something right away. The way people greeted each other felt different. Warmer. Slower. More present. It usually started with a fist bump, but it didn’t end there. After the bump, they’d bring their fist back to their chest and pull it across their torso.

It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t explained.

It was just understood.

Connection first. Then intention.

I brought that home with me.

One Love Starts With Contact

The fist bump is simple. It’s the entry point. It says, I see you. No hierarchy. No dominance. Just contact.

To me, that part represents one love. The idea that we meet each other as equals. Brother to brother. Sister to sister. No agenda attached.

That’s deeply rooted in Rasta culture, but it’s also deeply human. You don’t have to say anything for it to land. The connection happens in the moment of contact.

One Heart Is a Choice

After the fist bump, the hand comes back to the chest. Across the heart.

That’s the part I didn’t fully understand until later.

It’s easy to greet someone. It’s harder to mean it.

Pulling the fist across the chest is a reminder that connection isn’t just physical. It’s internal. It’s saying, I receive this interaction. I’m present for it. I’m not rushing past you.

For me, it represents one heart.

Not perfect agreement. Not forced closeness. Just shared humanity.

Let’s Get Together

For people I really know, the greeting continues.

The bro hug comes next. Not long. Not dramatic. Just enough to say, we’re good. We’ve shared space before. We’ve walked some of the same ground.

This part represents let’s get together. It’s community. It’s familiarity. It’s the understanding that relationships deepen over time, not all at once.

You don’t do this part with everyone. And that’s the point.

And Feel Alright

The greeting ends with a shaka.

Loose. Open. Relaxed.

The shaka is joy without pressure. It’s reassurance. It’s saying, we’re okay here. No need to posture. No need to perform.

That’s the feel alright part.

It’s not pretending everything is perfect. It’s choosing ease in the moment you’re standing in.

All together, the greeting follows the rhythm of One Love:

One love.

One heart.

Let’s get together.

And feel alright.

Why It Matters to Me

I greet people this way because I want them to know I see them.

Not as a role. Not as a transaction. Not as a means to an end.

As a person.

I like calling people brother and sister. Not casually. Intentionally. It’s rooted in the Rasta understanding that we’re connected, and in my faith that we’re all brothers and sisters in Christ. Different paths, same family.

The handshake is how I embody that belief without needing to explain it out loud.

The Shaka Mark

Somewhere along the way, I started signing things with a small shaka icon.

Nothing fancy. Just a simple mark.

It’s a reminder. A signature. A quiet symbol that says, this came from a place of connection. You’ll see it on blog posts. Notes. Maybe other things over time.

I shaka to everything.

Not because it’s cool.

Because it’s grounding.

A Small Gesture, On Purpose

The world moves fast. Interactions blur together. People talk past each other. We forget how much meaning can live in a small, intentional gesture.

This handshake slows things down for a moment.

It brings attention back to the body.

It creates a shared rhythm.

You don’t have to adopt it.

You don’t have to mirror it.

Just know that when I greet you this way, it’s on purpose.

I see you.

We’re connected.

And for this moment, we’re here together.

🤙