Our children need patron saints
And so do their mothers—especially during the holidays.
I know this newsletter usually lands in your inbox on Sunday, but here I am halfway through the week, finally finding the space to write to you. As I sit here wrapping gifts and watching the early winter light shimmer on the pond, I keep thinking about how this season asks so much of us—especially those of us raising or loving teenagers. Today I want to share something vulnerable with you, because sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is admit we’re all figuring this out together.
👇 In today’s email:
This week’s inspiration: Our children need patron saints
Latest blog post: The Full-Body Reset I Swear By
What I’m drinking: A love letter to Master Tea Harvester Mr. Luo
Children Need Patron Saints
To be honest, last week was hard for me. As I prepped for my son’s basketball game, I wore the team sweatshirt, excited to see my 6’3”, 185-pound son do what he loves most—play basketball. Not knowing an hour later he would be concussed on the court and the hundreds of spectators would be reduced to silence.
I put my cold fingers on his forehead and said, “It’s Mommy, I’m here.”
“Mama,” he said, crying, “I can’t remember the game.”
In my mind’s eye, I can see myself fighting back tears and him demanding I not cry—feelings of being both helpless and scared.
A week later? Mercifully, he is fine and I’m still feeling traumatized.
I’ve come to the conclusion that children need patron saints and so do their mothers.
But we were not the only criers this past week. Many of my patients broke down in convulsing sobs or slow trickles down rosy cheeks. The Greeks got it right. Catharsis is a thing. And through tears, the vices gripping our hearts relent. Often crying is the best way to move forward; certainly the most human.
As we enter into this season, many say it’s the most odious time of year: the frantic pull between relatives, rushed for time, not to mention the financial drain. For most people it is maddening, but almost heretical to admit.
Perhaps that’s why we have to treat each other with extra kindness right now. Because we are all a bit tender. And when necessary, it’s always good to cry.
In the same week, the Geminids meteor shower lit up the sky with over a hundred shooting stars per hour. It was the biggest and most spectacular shower of the year. I hope some of you caught it—that sense of a bigger picture, that reminder that things are more nuanced than we can imagine. Concussions and all.
Sometimes the best thing we can offer each other—and ourselves—is the simple acknowledgment that we’re doing our best. That love can look like cold fingers on a forehead. That being scared for someone you love is to be human.
The Full-Body Reset I Swear By
When patients come to me feeling depleted—especially during the holiday season—I often recommend what I call my “Full-Body Reset Protocol.” It’s a combination of techniques I’ve evolved for two decades to help women reclaim their energy when life feels overwhelming.
In my studio, the protocol combines two key elements: Lymphatic Activation using a specialized French lymphatic drainage tool to move stagnant fluid and release stored tension. And Nervous System Recalibration using specific acupuncture points that signal safety to your body—particularly the ones that help shift you from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest mode.
What I love about this protocol is its gentleness. You’re not pushing your body harder; you’re giving it permission to let go. In the blog post, I break down how this reset works and share techniques you can use at home to support your lymphatic system and nervous system between sessions.
Several patients have told me this has become their non-negotiable self-care practice—especially during chaotic weeks when everything feels like too much.
A love letter to Master Tea Harvester Mr. Luo
I’ve been circling the arena of artisanal tea for a long time. Even a decade ago, I considered becoming a tea sommelier just for fun. But as my kids were still young, the idea of having a hobby like that was unthinkable. Here I am again, loving specialty teas and particularly oolongs, and those from master harvester Mr. Luo.
Some have notes of pound cake, longan, and jasmine; others, toasted almonds, maitake, and honey.
When we think of tea, we’re thinking about the same kind of plant—Camellia sinensis, grown all over the world in different locations. I’m partial to Mr. Luo’s high-elevation tea from Taiwan. An oolong is partially oxidized, so it’s halfway between a green and a black tea, giving the health benefits of both.
I think when you have somebody who does something spectacular, whether you know them or not, you stick with them—whether it’s an author or maybe even an actor. Or a tea cultivator.
I have another person in my ecosystem named Jack. He’s a master distiller of essential oils in Hawaii. He makes a sandalwood oil that is sustainably grown, unlike that of India. Jack is a master distiller and he’s a bit of a J.D. Salinger type of character. Basically, I’m saying he’s a shut-in, but he’s a master distiller shut-in. Anything Jack makes, I’m down for. His rosewood oil has helped thousands of my patients process trauma.
He makes two different kinds of mandarin oils. One is a green mandarin, which has a bright, sour snap to it, while his red mandarin is so delicious you can almost imagine the juice dribbling down your chin as you smell it.
In a world of big box stores and easy clicks between desire and things arriving at your house, it’s nice to feel a personal affinity to master craftspeople and the beautiful things they do. That’s how I feel about not only Jack’s oils that are sublime, but the teas I’m enjoying daily from Mr. Luo.
I’ll have to write him a love note. Actually, I guess that’s what this is.
I get my teas from spirittea.co Feel free to check them out.
Sending you much love,
Dr. Catherine
P.S. A quick note—many of the photos you see on my website and in these newsletters are by my friend Sasha Israel. She’s made me feel more comfortable in front of a camera than I ever thought possible. That’s a gift. If you ever need photography, she is one-of-a-kind. Another person in my world that does something spectacular.
https://sashaisraelphotography.com/
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