Trauma in ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’

We’re given a beautiful gift in the adaptation of author, Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things - an episode so filled with raw emotion, we feel it all, even from the couch all wrapped up and safe in our pajamas. We get to see the magnificent Kathryn Hahn’s character have an exchange with her brother throughout an episode wherein she’s engaging, present-day as herself: age 50, and speaking the very next words as her younger self, an age her pain left the largest wound. She switched between these two parts of herself several times throughout the scene, swimming in flashbacks, adrenaline, and rapid reactivity. The cinematic nerd in me watched fascinated as they pulled this off seamlessly. This, is trauma. This is the display of wounds unhealed, and unprocessed painful emotion at bleeding out.

When our pain points are triggered, younger parts of us seeking healing, often take back the helm, sometimes steering us aground with old and outdated coping mechanisms. Understandably so, anxiety is there to protect us and had long vowed to do so at any cost. But have we measured cost as of late? We have opportunities to notice not only when this happens, but the themes and patterns that arise along with it.

Can you catch the moments when your younger self takes the helm?

Is that version of you & their unfiltered reaction serving or impeding your goals in life?

Fact of the matter is, they likely have more to say than we often know how to make space for. Regulating your system enough to listen is half the battle. Our invitation here is not to silence or ignore them the way we may instinctively prefer. Our invitation is to learn how to listen with compassion and give permission for them to let you lead instead.

If you didn’t notice yours this week, I encourage you to take a moment to turn toward yourself with curiosity - what unmet needs could my younger self be seeking my attention for today?