Textiles ... fabrics ... they are far more than mere fashion accessories. They are in fact deeply imbedded in our emotions, our psyches, our experience of life. The touch of fabric on our skin was the first comforting tactile sensation we ever experienced. Just moments after being pushed from the quiet safety of our mother’s womb we were swaddled in layers of soft, warm fabric to soften the impact of arriving in a world filled with hard, cold things.

And to this day we still look to cloth to insulate us from the world. One of the many reasons Autumn is the most emotional season is that it’s a season of fabric. Soon it will be time for blankets and scarfs and warm socks. We use fabrics to cover the cold, hard floor and drape them across our windows for both privacy and to filter and soften the harsh light of day.

The more I pondered fabric this week the more I became aware of those things inside us that call out for it. From security blankets to Teddy bears to overstuffed chairs to favorite sweaters, there is no point in our lives when we aren’t in some way longing to be wrapped up and held close and kept safe.

So my encouragement to you today is a very simple one … build strong, yes, but also build such a life so that you are known to be a soft place to land.

The coming season is going to have more than its share of cold, hard, harsh moments. So—for the sake of all those you love and even the stranger who unbeknownst to you might just be having their worst day ever—be strong, but also be soft. The world is tossing us around quite a bit these days. We all need more padded edges to fall against. More kindness. More compassion. More empathy. More understanding.

We all at times feel fragile and vulnerable and left out in the cold. The Scottish minister and author Ian Maclaren said it better than I think it’s ever been said by anyone, anywhere when he said, “Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” I don’t know what your hard battle is, but one of the reasons we do our silly little show every weekend, and one of the reasons we try to solve problems instead of creating them, and why we stay away from anger and cynicism and try to keep things upbeat and kind is, in some small way, to give you a soft place to land. Because I know your life is harder than it looks.

So perhaps it’s time for new fabrics to soften your home. I can help you with that. We can soften the edges of your home but only you can choose to soften the edges of your soul with the kindness and patience and compassion that will make you a soft place for others to land.

So far this year has seen more death, more disaster, more division and desperation and distraction than we have experienced in a long time. We’ve suffered the hard hits, now we need the soft touch. Be strong, but also be a soft place for others to land. I, for one, think that’s the most meaningful way to build yourself a beautiful life.