For many people, the first few minutes of the morning are a race to get ready, make coffee and get out the door. For Maureen Fitzgerald, those quiet minutes have become something much more meaningful.
The 63-year-old Connecticut-area mother has developed a simple morning tradition that has unexpectedly turned her into a source of encouragement for thousands of people online.
Before the sun is fully up, Fitzgerald often steps onto her porch with a cup of coffee. Sometimes she is bundled up. Other mornings bring sunshine. On some days, she is standing outside beneath an umbrella while rain falls around her.
Regardless of the weather, she records a short video and shares a message meant to help people start their day on a better note.
Her posts often revolve around everyday reminders: keep moving forward, appreciate what you have, make the most of the day and do not let a difficult morning determine what comes next.
The routine only began in mid-July, but it quickly caught the attention of people who were looking for something positive to watch as they started their own mornings.
Followers have given Fitzgerald the nickname “Mo,” and her comment sections have become something of a morning gathering place. People respond with their own encouragement, jokes and messages of appreciation.
What began as a personal habit has also become a way for Fitzgerald to connect with people she has never met.
Some followers have contacted her privately to tell her how much her videos mean to them. She has heard from people who are struggling with loneliness, grief and difficult circumstances. Fitzgerald says she tries to respond whenever she can because she understands what it feels like to wish there were someone nearby offering a little reassurance.
That understanding comes from her own experiences.
Fitzgerald has worked full-time for the federal government in a civilian position for years. She is also a wife and mother, and life at home has brought serious challenges of its own.
Her husband, a Vietnam veteran, has experienced significant health problems connected to Agent Orange exposure. The couple has also spent years dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs while trying to navigate his medical needs.
Then, shortly before Thanksgiving in 2024, her husband was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
For Fitzgerald, there was no option to simply stop everything and fall apart. She still had a family to care for and responsibilities to handle.
She has described trying to remain strong for her children while privately dealing with fear and uncertainty. During those difficult days, she says she deliberately focused on finding something positive to hold onto.
That mindset eventually became part of her morning routine.
Fitzgerald says she does not consider herself particularly religious or someone with all the answers. Instead, she looks at the simple act of watching a new day begin as something worth appreciating.
A cup of coffee, a quiet porch and the sunrise are enough to remind her that another day has arrived.
Her message has resonated with people who may not have anyone else checking in on them.
That may be the biggest reason her videos have struck such a chord. Fitzgerald is not presenting herself as a life coach or pretending she has everything figured out. She is simply showing up each morning and encouraging people to keep going.
She believes everyone needs someone who will occasionally remind them that things can get better.
For Fitzgerald, that reminder starts with something remarkably simple: wake up, step outside, appreciate the day and try to make the most of it.
And now, thousands of people online are starting their mornings with her.
