There's always room for magic!??

The one with the tenuous sourdough analogies (last time for now!) about magic in us and creating community…

Welcome to MAY! Here's to finding some magic this month … even if it's raining (still!) where you are too…

This week, let's explore the magic in each of us, particularly as we navigate the transformative years of our 50s and beyond - bear with if you're not there yet! I promised I'd return to the sourdough analogies … but next week something fresh ?? is coming…?

Just as sourdough can be messy - we have to get in there, hands in the dough, flour everywhere - ?to truly understand its transformation: our personal growth doesn't just happen unless we actively engage in new experiences.?

There's a certain magic in the tactile reality of bread making—the sticky dough between our fingers, the scent as it grows and comes alive and the warmth of a fresh loaf. The results aren't fully revealed until after we've got involved, put in some effort and given it some time.

This is much like the unseen qualities within ourselves—traits and strengths we might not realise until we push the boundaries of our comfort zones.?

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A few weeks ago I talked about the importance of?tasting and seeing—a principle that's crucial not only in perfecting our bread but also in cultivating our personal growth. It's through direct experience that we gain the most profound insights into both our craft and ourselves.

Now, as we step further into the post-pandemic era, the value of community has never been more apparent. Being in community, much like the act of bread making, is a practice—a muscle we must continually flex.?

The practice of coming together—in person and in spirit—creates shared experiences that enrich us. It reminds us that we are part of something larger, a collective that thrives on mutual support and understanding. This is the yeast that allows our communal dough to rise, transforming individual grains into a nourishing whole.

Sourdough may be a bit crusty, cracked, lumpy on the outside … but that's what protects the soft, squidgy, delicious stuff inside.

You can't have one without the other!?

As we continue to gather in real life and online to nourish and grow our communities, remember the lessons from baking and breaking bread together.

Each step, from mixing to kneading, to rising, teaches us about patience, resilience, and the transformation that comes from hands-on involvement. Let's cherish and nurture these connections, for they are as essential to our growth as water and flour are to our bread.

I'd love to hear how you discover the magic within you through connecting in community. Where are the places you find food for your soul?

Let's continue to meet, to share and to grow—let the unseen magic within us rise up as beautifully as our loaves of bread. How delicious!

Until next week -?

With my love,

Joanne

PS… Here's to finding a safe space to grow. The #silversisters began with a connection as simple as ditching the hair dye (4 years for me this May!) but my goodness the impact of meeting other women who were up for challenging societal norms, boldly showing up and cheering each other on!?