A New Beginning
As you will know if you have read my previous posts, in early summer I wrote a series of posts describing and analyzing Wendell Berry's important essay, "Solving for Pattern." Then, at the end of July, in a post titled "Interlude," I said was going to take a vacation to the Adirondacks, and would return to the blog later in the year. I am returning about a month later than I thought I would, largely because it is has been such a challenge to regain and maintain my equilibrium when faced with recent political and social events in the United States.
Courage is Calling
The fact that I am writing again indicates that I have regained at least a modicum of equilibrium, although the news from our Nation's capital continues to be dire. It was with this news as context that I responded to a request by Daren for me to write something. He asked me to provide an opening statement for a meeting with the KPICD ambassador organizations last week in New Orleans. Here is what I wrote:
Friends and Colleagues: Daren has asked my to write down a few words,
in the form of a letter, to share with you. Borrowing a phrase from
the modern Stoic philosopher, Ryan Holiday, I have decided to title
this letter, "Courage is Calling." Courage is always a precious
commodity, but today, as you gather together with common purpose, it
may be especially precious. Courageous action comes in many forms,
ranging from the child who stands up to a bully on behalf of their
young friend, to MLK and others who marched from Selma to Montgomery
to advance the cause of civil rights, to Dr. Purvis and her students
pioneering new and effective ways to heal children from hard places.
The practice of TBRI also calls for courageous action in many forms,
including action anchored in honest and oftentimes painful
self-examination, actions based on seeing a child's needs and meeting
those needs, and actions that challenge those systems that need to
change so children can thrive. It is important to keep in mind that
courageous action is rooted in love: Love of country, love of
community, love of family, love of humankind. Without love, there may
be risk-taking, but there can be no real courage. It is also
important to keep in mind that the fruit of courageous action is hope:
Hope and its siblings, agency and confidence. Courage is calling: Can
you hear it? Will you heed it?
This letter was in no small part inspired by my own challenges in responding to the current historical moment. But the larger part was the challenges I know you all are facing as you seek to make the world a better place for children, families, and communities. It is not an easy path; it reminds me of the book Do Hard Things, by Steve Magness.
Rooted in Science, Grown in Love: The TBRI Story
In addition to sharing my "Courage is Calling" letter, I would also like to share some good news about a project that I am working on. A year or so ago, Dr. Phil Hartman approached me about writing a book about the history of Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KPICD). Phil, who is both a friend and a former colleague, had just written and published a book about the the history of Texas Christian University (TCU), and was interested in doing something similar about the KPICD. Phil had been our Dean during the formative years of the KPICD, and was both instrumental to its success and knowledgeable about its history. We asked Dr. Danica Knight, the current Director of the KPICD, to join us, and the three of us embarked on a book project. We are nearing the finish line, and I thought you might like to see the table of contents:
- Karyn Purvis (her personal story)
- David Cross (his personal story)
- History of the KPICD
- Roots of TBRI
- What is TBRI?
- Science of TBRI
- TBRI Works!
- KPICD Educational Programs
- Disseminating TBRI
- TBRI Practice Principles
- Looking Ahead
We think the book will have something for everyone who has an interest in TBRI and trauma-informed care and service. The manuscript will be delivered to TCU Press by November 1st, and will appear in print sometime in 2026. The title of the book is the same as the heading shown above for this section of the blog post. Several members of the KPICD staff and faculty, as well as several of our ambassadors, had significant roles in making this book happen.
A New Beginning
The over-arching purpose of "Solving for Pattern" is to explore strategies and tactics for creating healthy systems, based on the ideas of folks like Wendell Berry, Gregory Bateson, and Yrjö Engeström. This remains my core purpose, but – based on current events – I might be expanding the scope of my inquiry, at least somewhat. The previous set of posts established the foundation for this effort, and those that follow will consider various examples that allow us to explore more fully the details of system health and system change. As always, I encourage you to email me (d.cross@tcu.edu) if you have questions or comments. Cheers