Ordinary Magic

Resilience is not a rare gift. Forty years of research on children who grew up through real adversity found it is ordinary: it comes from ordinary things doing their ordinary work. A caring adult who sticks around. A few good relationships beyond that one. A community and, when possible, a school that actually works for the child. A culture that gives them a place to stand. If resilience were rare, there would be nothing you could do. Because it is ordinary, your job is not to be a genius. Your job is to protect and provide the ordinary things, and that is within reach of any parent who is paying attention. One steady adult who shows up reliably is the first item on the list, and if you are reading this, that adult already exists.