Connecting the Dots

When you’re stuck in the middle

Several years ago, to honor our grandmother and raise awareness (and $10,000) for breast cancer, my sister and I walked nearly 60 miles over three days.

I expected the physical demands to be intense, but what surprised me most was the profound, lasting emotional impact of those three days – and how powerfully the experience taught me to push through tough times.

If you’re feeling stuck or wrestling your way through a difficult season, read this week’s Connecting the Dots newsletter to find out how to keep going!

Impact Heroes

Soup’s On

With ongoing strife on the streets of Minneapolis since early January, local restaurants are struggling for customers. Chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern, who calls Minneapolis home, hopes to change that.

He eats at local restaurants and urges others to do the same, admitting those businesses saved him years ago when he was fresh out of rehab and lived in a nearby halfway house. To give back, Zimmern serves at a local soup kitchen, making his grandmother’s homemade split pea soup to comfort all who enter.

Zimmern’s message: Food brings us together and reminds us of our responsibility to one another. Small, local efforts are powerful. As you have the time and resources, or even just your voice, lend a hand in your community. It matters. Every single time.

See Zimmern stirring the pot at Soup for You Cafe!

(Photo/Andrew Zimmern)

Your Stories

Flower Connection

I was walking a trail today and came across a young woman stooped over a plant. When she saw me, she broke out into a beaming (bashful) smile and said, “they smell good!”

I smiled back to let her know that I could relate, and you’d better believe that when I passed the plant on the way back, I stopped to smell it, too!

JJ – Seattle, WA

(Photo/Александр Нестеров)