Kindness and Self-Kindness
Hello friends,
The winter solstice has passed (hooray!) and for many the holidays are approaching. Happy holidays to those who celebrate! I have some insights to share with you that can help you tap into your greatest gift this season: presence.
These ideas are inspired by my interview with Cori Doerrfeld, author of one my favorite children’s books, The Rabbit Listened.
In the story, The Rabbit Listened, a child named Taylor is upset, and a collection of animals appear to “help.” Their well-intended advice for Taylor to vent, fix, talk, laugh, or forget about the problem are all poorly received by Taylor. Taylor finds no comfort until the rabbit comes with a warm presence and simply listens.
The Rabbit Listened reminds us of the power of your presence when people around you, including children, are struggling in big and small ways. You can scroll down to the bottom of the page for a link to my full interview with Cori.
I love to use the book, The Rabbit Listened, when I teach children about self-compassion because the ideas from the book can also apply to how we treat ourselves when we are struggling. Six kids from the Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids “Kids’ Team” created a play that reenacts the story from The Rabbit Listened, and at the end of the video the kids and I show how we can apply the ideas both to compassion for self and compassion for others.
Applying these lessons to our holiday experiences
My heartwarming podcast with author Cori Doerrfeld
I love that a rabbit is the comforting animal in Cori’s delightful book, as well as the kind and encouraging animal (pictured above) from the Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids and my Parent-Child Self-Compassion and Resilience Habits for Parents classes. As Cori shares in our podcast episode, sometimes just picturing the rabbit can help us call on our kind, gentle presence when things go wrong.
Wishing you both joy and compassion as we move past the solstice and into the holidays. May you enjoy the gift of presence.
With Light and Love,
Jamie Lynn