Anchor & Container

A post-election letter from Patricia ❤️

Anchor and Container

Last summer, I invited Dr. Tovah Klein to join me for a fireside conversation, a casual get together at the shop. I didn't realize that our event would fall right after the Presidential election, let alone how much we would need this conversation.

The focus of our talk tomorrow? Resilience. In her book, Tovah shares one of her finds from years of research: children who are best able to handle life’s inevitable hardships and disappointments are the ones whose parents serve as their “anchors and containers” — giving them stability, listening to them, holding their emotions, and allowing them to feel understood. As I reflect on this, it’s clear to me that all of us, not just children, need exactly the same thing.

Do you have someone in your life who can play those roles? And if that support isn’t there, can you be that source of strength for yourself? How can we do this for ourselves, loved ones and friends?