Valentine’s Week: Find a Piece of Your Dream and Put It Back on the Map 🗺️❤️
|
Dear Family, This week, the world is draped in red hearts and talk of "Golden Year" romances. But for many of us, Valentine’s Day feels a little different. We aren't planning cruises; we’re planning school lunches. We aren't looking at sunset views; we’re looking at trauma recovery. I recently sat down with Ruthie Shofi, a grandmother who went from owning a business and planning a "food truck retirement" in Florida to raising three granddaughters (ages 2, 4, and 13) in a single 24-hour period. Ruthie’s story is our story: the "shock zone," the morning tears, and the agonizing question, "Where were we in this story?" The Raw Truth: Significance Over Regret Where were we in our story? We were traveling around the world on a simple budget—staying in converted barns, monasteries, and rooms in people's homes. We had just finished building a small one-bedroom home in a remote part of Montana. My youngest had gone off to college and we were living our dream. Then we got the call... and the dream ended. But oddly enough, I don't have any regrets! We’re doing something amazing for these children and we’re changing ourselves for the better. Is it hard? Yes. Is it worth it? I believe so, but I probably won't know until long after I'm dead. Some things you just do because you know it's the right thing to do. Ruthie’s story lit a fire in me because it forced me to look at my own "Geography of Sacrifice." As the Invisible CEO, you have to realize that choosing the mission doesn't mean your conscience has to be a prison. It means your old dream hasn't died; it’s just being redesigned. My dream now is to travel with these children—to show them that the world is small and that kindness is the only currency that matters. As Tony Silard said, circumstances reveal the person. This Valentine’s week, let’s reveal the version of ourselves that still knows how to dream. Inside the Project: Episode 99 This Week’s Guest: Ruthie Shofi | "The Empty Nest That Wasn't" In this episode, Ruthie shares her "Full Circle" journey—from the morning tears of the first year to the "glory" of year three. We discuss the systemic hurdles of raising three girls and how she and her husband protect their partnership with "date breakfasts." [🎧 LISTEN TO EPISODE #99: Ruthie Shofi] The Reflection RoomMy Valentine's gift to you is to ask you to find a piece of your dream before this all happened and recreate it in some fashion. Whether it's a lobster dinner cooked at home or 15 minutes of quiet, reclaim the leader you were before the phone rang. The Toolbox: Tactical Moves
We are 2.7 million strong. Still nurturing, and still here. See you in the next boardroom, Laura Brazan Founder, The 2.7 Million Project/Host of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity |
Legacy Builder Newsletter
Weekly Podcast Spotlight. Recommended Reads. Inspiring Stories.
Legacy Builders Connecting Hearts, Nurturing the Future Vol. 1, No. 70 | February 24, 2026 Dear Family, I’ve spent so much of my life trying to keep my "work self" and my "grandma self" in separate boxes, terrified that if they touched, the whole system would collapse. We are taught to compartmentalize—to leave the grief at the door so we can execute our duties with competence. But in the Second Cradle, that door has been ripped off its hinges. This week, I sat down with Brad Hoffman, a...
Hi Family, When I started this journey, I knew the road for grandparents raising grandchildren was steep. I knew we were often "Invisible," doing the heavy lifting in the quiet corners of our homes. This week, we hit a milestone I once only dreamed of: Episode 100. To celebrate these 100 chapters of our story, we aren’t just looking back—we’re moving forward. I am thrilled to announce that The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Channel is officially live on YouTube! [Link: VISIT OUR NEW...
Legacy Builders Connecting Hearts, Nurturing the Future Vol. 1, No. 67 | February 3, 2026 Dear Family, Last week, we talked about building the sanctuary with Dr. Dale Atkins—the decision to stop the "sprint" and start being the stationary point for our grandchildren. We talked about "staffing" our mission to avoid burnout. But what happens when that sanctuary is clouded by the ghosts of the past? What do we do when we look at our grandchildren and see the "unforgivable" traits of the parents...