When you ask someone who helped them through the hardest times in their life — who got them through the first day of a significant challenge or change — you usually don’t get a fancy title in response.
You get a name. A face. A human being.
That’s because the presence of just one reliable adult — one person who consistently shows up — can have a life-altering impact on a young person’s development.
Psychologist Emmy Werner’s landmark 40-year Kauai longitudinal study found that among children who faced significant adversity, those who thrived almost always had one thing in common: the presence of a stable, caring adult in their lives. That one relationship often made the difference between struggle and resilience.
Decades later, the research continues to affirm this truth...
