In one day, your whole world could crumble and everything you treasure could be lost. That is exactly what happened to Anna Seewald in Armenia, where an earthquake resulted in overwhelming tragedy. Although she struggled through adversity, she found healing through community bonds. Her philosophy: together, we could overcome anything.

• Anna, growing up in Armenia, lived a peaceful and fulfilling childhood until her home town was hit with a catastrophic earthquake. The tragedy resulted in the loss of her mother, younger cousin, and many more friends and relatives. 
• Anna had to move with other relatives in a foreign country, however, the experience allowed her to grow more resilient and empowering as she lives her life now in America.
• Overcoming her struggles, Anna became a parent counselor where she guides parents who’ve also been through trauma and abuse. She sees herself in them as they are on the same side of adversity. 
• Anna did work with children at the beginning of her career. She believes that focusing on the parents and how they raise their children will result in a better home for both the parents and children. 
• Anna credits her strength and resilience to the community she was in, relationships she bonded through, and the love she received as well as gave. She believes she is where she is at because of the unspoken bond of empathy. 
• After the earthquake, and to this day, Anna processes her pain through the art of music, poetry, and writing.

Listen to the episode for the full story.

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Anna’s upcoming book still in the making, The Other Side of Adversity

Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource.

Anna expressed just how valuable having her community with her through the hardship they were all experiencing. She credits her strength to the bonds and relationships she kept and created. That the emotional support and love that she gained was what enabled her to keep on pushing through. This insight really goes to show that if you are ever in a dark place, it is really helpful to put some effort in asking for help, reaching out to trust other people, and surrounding yourself with positivity. You are strong on your own, so imagine the strength you can muster with the support of more. There’s power in numbers. But it’s up to you to take rightful advantage of such opportunities. No matter what you’re going through, you’re never alone. Take a little bit of time in your day to reach out, you or that other person might really need it.

That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Melissa Pierce who becomes a widow overnight – that if she didn’t help herself she couldn’t help her kids, so she started her road to recovery. Next week, we’ll interview Peggy Oliveira who believes that communication and recognition is the healthiest way to overcome trauma and to stop the trauma from creating any more damage to your life.

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