Hello Dears,

It's that time of year. People are gathering for the holidays. 2016 has been a bit rough. Up and down: hopeful, troubling, inspiring, uncertain. My holiday gift for you is the four question Holiday Wisdom Challenge (above), a short and inspiring way to connect with the women in your life, to glean valuable wisdom from their years of experience. The 'challenge' part of it: ask these questions of at least one older woman in the next two weeks. It's a great way to learn more about someone you are already close with, and it's an equally valuable way to bridge connection with someone you're not as comfortable with.

Some ideas for how to do this: Casually ask these questions of the woman sitting next to you at the holiday table. Or, sneak away to discuss with your mom, aunt, sister, or grandmother (or all of them together!) during a quiet moment. And, by all means, ask yourself the questions (or have a friend ask you). You may be surprised by just how much wisdom you already hold.

If you'd like, you can take notes on the printable PDF we made for you. Or, even better, get out your phone and record the women by video or audio. But, the main thing is to just ask. And...listen.

As an antidote to these tumultuous times, I am creating a Wisdom Collection on the Cooking with Grandmothers website. I'm going to kickstart it with the responses to this Holiday Wisdom Challenge. I'd love to include yours, so if you feel like sharing, just email along written notes, or a video or audio recording to: cookingwithgrandmothers@gmail.com by January 15th. Together we can make a difference.

I wish you all a smooth, cozy end to 2016. And, a joyful start to 2017.

Jessica xo