I’ve heard it say that “where there is anger, there is always pain underneath.” While I’m not about to say that anger is never an appropriate response, I do believe that anger can be a quick and easy default defense against the slow, hard work of grief.

In an attempt to “put away the harsh rhetoric, to lower the temperature, to see each other again,” I’ve created a chair that invites us to “sit down, cool down, and cry.” For all of us who need to address the pain before the anger, come, and sit.

“Sit down, cool down, and cry” Ice Chair (2021) Erica Huff Studios

Quote 1 by Eckhart Tolle

Quote 2 by President Biden, Inauguration Speech 2021