Thursday May 28, 2026

Episode 243: Growing Resilience Through Human Connection, with "Make Do and Mend" Author Anne Putnam

“Anything that makes somebody feel less alone matters.”

Anne Putnam ~ Author of Make Do and Mend

Have you ever had your heart broken?

If you've been lucky enough to be in love, it's likely you've experienced the counterpart of starry-eyed bliss--heartbreak.

Having your heart broken is one of the most painful of human experiences. With no clear remedy for the pain, and no timeframe as to when it will end, heartbreak shapes and forms us in ways that last, even if we don't want it to.

Anne Putnam knows heartbreak, and she shares her experiences in her memoir, Make Do and Mend, with the pain, honesty and eventually, rise into a new, full and happy existence as she processed her experience and found new love.

Anne offers a heartfelt conversation about heartbreak, human connection, empathy, and the resilience born through suffering. Noting how pain can isolate us, she also recognizes how compassion and presence can reconnect us to one another in meaningful ways. Rather than trying to “fix” people, Anne reminds us of the power of simply saying, “I see you and I am here.”

Throughout this episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast, Anne shares profound insights about emotional honesty, grief, and the importance of allowing people space to experience pain without judgment or forced solutions. As we say in Brilliantly Resilient, imperfect is always a path forward, and Anne shows us that embracing imperfect humanity, releasing the pressure to have all the answers, and recognizing that connection itself can be healing are all relevant responses to the pains of being human. Further, it becomes clear that empathy requires courage — the courage to stay present even when we cannot solve someone else’s suffering.

As Anne reminds us that “everything we go through has its use” and “two things can be true,” this conversation offers listeners permission to hold both grief and growth at the same time. We receive an honest, compassionate exploration of what it means to move through hardship without losing one's humanity — and perhaps even discovering deeper connection and purpose along the way.

For more of Anne's wisdom, tune into this episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast. Learn more about Ann here, and pick up your copy of Make Do and Mend here. Be sure to listen for these additional bits of Anne's brilliance:

“If you want to sit here in silence, I’m here to do that.”
“We make the world better when people feel they’re not alone in what they’re experiencing.”
“You have no idea how that experience might help you understand yourself better… or be more empathetic toward someone else.”
“It doesn’t matter how much good stuff you get out of extreme pain — that doesn’t mean you’d choose the pain again.”
“The whole point of existence is connection.”
“We should be so connected by this intense awareness of other people’s experience.”
“It’s not a matter of solving the problems. It’s a matter of recognizing the humanity in that person.”
“We just have to find ways to connect with each other because it is the whole point of existence.”
“It is about our ability to form those connections… based on thoughtful, empathetic choice.”
“Everything we go through has its use.”
“You have no idea how that might come in and click with something else that happens to you in the future.”
“Two things can be true.”