Puzzles & Book Buddies

Staying grounded during the shifting seasons of our lives.

I’m very late to the puzzle club and have to say I’m just dipping my toes in 🙂. Zeesy and I started a puzzle last Shabbos with the notable goal of completing it by this Shabbos, since it was spread all over the dining room table. That didn’t end up happening because we went away in the middle of the week for the glorious holiday of Thanksgiving. So we had to move the “done” section, and just yesterday we brought it back out and all got super into it. I think this week we might be able to finish it before Shabbos.

Then, this morning, after I came home from my Tanya class, I walked in to see Zeesy and Chaim Shaul working on it, so I joined and got sucked in too. There is no joy like finding a piece that fits. It’s addictive, and I kinda love it 🙂.

I think what held me back before was this self imposed narrative that I’m bad at puzzles and that I don’t have patience. There’s certainly truth to it, but it put me in a limiting mindset… and who benefits from that? These little experiences are reminders of how powerful our thoughts are! (Tanya 101)

Ok, but what I really want to talk about is a book I’m reading — Strong Ground by Brené Brown.

But first, I must backtrack.

Around eight months ago, a friend I connected with over Instagram reached out and asked if I wanted to be Book Buddies with her. I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it sounded fun and it involved books so it was a yes for me! It’s one of the best things I’ve done! We pick a book and read an allotted amount every week, then discuss what we read (mostly over WhatsApp VNs), and keep going. We have read seven books together and we’re going strong!

Having a Book Buddy is so much fun and a great alternative when being part of a book club isn’t practical or accessible for you. I haven’t met my friend Elin in person yet (it will absolutely happen), but I feel like we’ve built such a strong connection because we learn so much about each other through what we read and discuss in the books.

I highly recommend having a Book Buddy and it doesn’t have to be someone you know well! You’ll get to know each other and all of a sudden you have a new friend!

Back to Strong Ground…

My friend Chevee and I (Chevee is one of my closest friends, we’ve known each other for close to twenty-five years) have been serious Brené Brown fans for years. Like OG fans from her first book. We would always farbreng (powwow) on her philosophies and how they impacted our lives.

During COVID, I became a little less enamored, and then in 2022 she went completely off social media, so I haven’t had much Brené exposure in a while. (I also struggle with her silence around what happened to the Jewish people in Israel on October 7th. I hope to meet Brené one day, face to face, and ask her about it.) When she came out with a new book a few months ago, I kept passing it and wondering if I should buy it. I wasn’t sure how I felt about her anymore or whether the subject applied to me, it seemed more leadership and organization-based.

Then Chevee called and said, “What do you think? Should we read it??”

And I was like, “You know what? Yes! Let’s do it! And let’s Book-Buddy it.”

We’re only four chapters in, but I’m so happy we’re reading it! I love it! It reminded me why I love Brené so much. She just has a way. Her storytelling, her ability to make you feel like she’s in it with you, not preaching down to you. It’s quite amazing because it’s exactly what I need to be reading right now.

There are times in life when we’re in a routine, things feel mostly figured out, you know your values, and you have clarity. And then there are times when all those things are questioned and you’re just not sure anymore. All the things you thought you knew maybe you don’t. It’s time to find your STRONG GROUND again.

I’m in that season 🙂. And having this book feels like a big hug.

I think when our kids get bigger and start to come into themselves, it can be destabilizing to discover that their paths might look different from ours. It’s our job to go inward, block out the noise, face what we’re afraid of, and find our center. And sometimes it’s not what you expected or could ever have imagined. That’s the beauty of being a present, grounded human. Things change. We can change our minds, shift our opinions, and find our strong ground that still reflects what’s important to us.

“Use your mind, use your body,” as Brené says, this is how we find strong ground! So simple and so profound. Something we all know, yet something we constantly need to be reminded of.

Side note: She also has a really fascinating take on AI that I won’t get into now! But let’s just say it aligns with my thoughts, and it feels good to be validated by someone of her caliber.

Between puzzles and now multiple Book Buddies, I’m discovering all sorts of new things about myself and I love it. I’ll keep you guys posted on a full book review once I finish, but so far… so good!

As I settle into the realities of yet another winter in Montana, it feels like a good time to metaphorically slow down (at least in my head) and continue to explore what my strong ground is in this season of my life.

All my love from the frozen tundra that is Bozeman.

Stay warm, stay grounded,

Chavie