Stories That Soften Us:
The Fragile Moments Blog
Each week, we share small stories, reflections, and truths that remind us of who we are. These are glimpses of healing, fragments of our shared emotional landscape, and invitations to come back to yourself.

All articles are originally published on Substack as part of the Storytelling Alchemist newsletter.
LATEST ARTICLES
The Stories We Aren't Telling (Yet)
There are stories we tell freely, over dinner tables warm with wine and laughter, in passing conversations that feel as light as dandelion seeds on the wind, on social media posts polished enough to feel safe. These stories slip from our tongues like familiar prayers, worn smooth by repetition and carefully edited for public consumption.
Soft Eyes, Open Heart: The Case for Gentle Observation
The morning light slants through our kitchen window, illuminating dust motes that dance like tiny worlds in the air. My four-year-old sits cross-legged on the wooden floor, a simple puzzle spread before him like a meditation.
PAST ARTICLES
Why Your Calm Matters More Than Your Control
The kitchen floor is covered in cereal. My three-year-old is face-down on the tiles, legs kicking, wailing like his world has ended because I offered her the blue bowl instead of the purple one. Every instinct in my body is screaming: Fix this. Control this. Make it stop.
The Space Between Words: Why Deep Listening Changes the Story
There’s a sacred silence that lives in the spaces between words—ancient and patient, like the pause between a mother’s heartbeat and her child’s first breath. In those pauses, stories don’t just breathe; they germinate. They shimmer in the quiet like morning dew on spider silk, waiting for someone to lean in—not just to hear, but to listen.
The Earth Children of Story
There's a concept in Montessori education called Erdkinder — earth children. It was Maria Montessori's vision for adolescents: create environments where they could work with their hands, contribute meaningfully to the world around them, and discover themselves through their connection to the earth.
More Than Words: Understanding Your Child’s Emotional World
Children don’t always have the words to tell us what they’re feeling. Their emotional world is vast, rich, and often mysterious—a landscape full of subtle signs, behaviors, and expressions that speak volumes if we learn to listen.
Made on
Tilda