Week 2: Connection Snacks
Deepen your connections this week with friends, family, and yourself.
Hello friends,
Welcome back! It’s Week 2 of Cultivating Connection! This month-long journey is all about deepening your connections with friends, family, and the world around you. As we wrap up Week 1 and step into Week 2, let's pause for a moment of reflection. I’ll share my own reflections, the results of which are magic! I invite you to do the same.
I was going to make an audio of this newsletter, and listening to the whispers within, decided to “reconnect” to videos as a way of connecting with all of you. This video is about 30 minutes long. It includes highlights of this weeks newsletter, information on the virtual retreat center which launches in July and the winner of a 3-month membership.
Closing Reflection for Week 1:
Which Connection Snack resonated with you the most this week? For sure the virtual essay of past connections resonated the most with me. Pulling together photos of so many amazing connections brought me immense joy and gratitude for the beautiful people I have in my life.
Did you notice any shifts in how you connect—with yourself, others, or the world around you? I felt a bit of nervousness and trepidation with some of my connections this week. These feelings weren’t unfamiliar—I had experienced them before and remembered the outcomes being positive. By recalling my past experiences, I allowed myself to trust and go with the flow. The result = magic!
What small moment of connection brought you the most joy or meaning? I won a coaching session with the Movement & Mobility Coach of a wellness group I belong to—a gift that feels especially meaningful. Movement has been a challenge for me most of my life, but this coach has a unique way of asking questions and uncovering what truly works. Through our conversation, I rediscovered that when I let movement dance with my creativity, it becomes not just sustainable, but something I look forward to. The result = magic. Which also reminds me of a quote this coach uses. “The magic you seek is in the work you are avoiding.”
Was there a connection you wanted to make but didn’t? What held you back? There was one connection I considered, but what held me back was not taking the time to reflect on why—and if—I truly wanted to pursue it. That, in itself, became my answer. If I wasn't able to commit to pondering this connection, that spoke volumes. My decision was made in the inaction I took, and I feel at peace with it.
Setting Intentions for Week 2:
What relationship (with yourself or someone else) do you want to deepen this week?
What’s one simple way you can bring more presence into your connections?
Is there a conversation you’ve been meaning to have or a message you want to send?
How can you bring creativity or playfulness into your connections?
What would make you feel more connected at the end of this upcoming week?
Family / Friend Connection
I completed this connection snack and later realized it's quite similar to the photo snack from Week 1. That said, I had so much fun with it that I couldn't leave it out! Let me explain…
Since my mom’s passing in November, I’ve been sorting through totes of her photos (or at least attempting to—it’s a huge task). When I mentioned to my step-sister that I was decluttering, she loved the idea of sitting down together to go through them.
Our families blended when our parents married. I was thirteen and she was seventeen. We were truly blessed with parents who made it look effortless—creating a foundation of love and connection that still resonates today.
Over tea and cookies, we sifted through the photos—some filled with shared memories, others capturing friendships, family moments, and work connections. Each one told a story of connection, reminding me how relationships shape our lives.
That afternoon, I realized the power of old photos—not just as keepsakes, but as reminders of the bonds that sustain us and as inspiration to deepen our connections today.
I’d love for you to experience this too, so I’ve created a Photo Memory Prompt to guide you in rediscovering meaningful moments and strengthening your connections.
Here it is—take a moment to reflect, reminisce, and reach out.
I took my own prompt to heart and completed it myself. Here’s what I experienced:
My photo is of my girl gang—a group of incredible women I moved away from 2 ½ years ago. As I paused to reflect, I realized that every photo tells a story of celebration—marking birthdays in unique and creative ways, always lifting each other up.
Looking at these moments fills me with both joy and longing. Joy for the deep friendships that have enriched my life, for the laughter, love, and unwavering support we’ve shared. And longing, because distance has made those in-person gatherings less frequent.
Yet, as I sift through these photos, I’m reminded that true friendship transcends miles. The connection remains strong, woven into the memories we’ve made and the ways we continue to show up for each other, even from afar. Reminiscing brings so much gratitude for the past, and so much appreciation for the ways we continue to stay connected. Stay tuned next Saturday for highlights of a Zoom card making gathering we experienced together.
Create a Vision Board for Self-Connection
Connection isn’t just about relationships with others—it starts within. This week, let’s look within and strengthen the relationship with ourselves.
A Self-Connection Vision Board is a creative way to explore what nurtures and restores you. It serves as a visual reminder of how you can deepen your connection with yourself daily.
You can bring your vision to life digitally using Canva or Pinterest, or go the hands-on route with magazines, glue, and scissors. Whether you create it solo or gather with friends for a vision board session, make it a reflection of how you connect with yourself.
Take It Further:
✨ Choose one element from your board to act on this week—whether it’s setting aside quiet time, starting a new practice, or embracing more joy in your daily life.
✨Share in the comments how do you connect with yourself?
I hope you’ve enjoyed Week 2 of Connection Snacks as we continue our month of Cultivating Connection. To close this week, I’d love to offer you a blessing.
"May you feel deeply connected to yourself, honoring your heart’s wisdom with kindness and grace. May your bonds with family and friends grow stronger, filled with love, laughter, and understanding. And may your connection to the greater world bring you a sense of belonging, purpose, and shared joy. As you continue this journey, may you always find warmth in the presence of others and peace in the presence of yourself." Amen
Thank you Kathy, your information and ideas are spectacular. I find these were wonderful ideas to prompt my thinking.
I used a card that I made to add to a treat I bought from the bakery to drop to a friend's mailbox today, as I know she's having some challenges. I texted her after I left it so that it didn't add to her day to have to visit.
To answer your question "how do I connect with myself" ... I feel I do have lots of ways, but right now what I am needing is a little more solitude and quiet days to recharge as I'm feeling overwhelmed. I feel the need to journal more to download some of that and reflect on what will help me through this.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful wisdom and stories.
Absolutely beautiful, Kathy. I wanted to share that I reached out to a newer friend of mine. My son and her son are friends and the few times they’ve had playdates, I have really enjoyed chatting with her. I texted her out of the blue today because we were out playing near her house. She said she missed me ♥️ that was so affirming for my heart to hear.