HONORING THE NEED TO PAUSE

Dear Friend,

For the past few months we’ve been quiet, but we’re still here.  ♡ 

The moment the idea for Bonds Magazine was officially conceived is crystalized in memory – a Sunday morning phone call transformed into overwhelming excitement as we discussed creating a space where stories not always heard are told, where strangers are uplifted by one another, and where experiences are shared and affirmed.

When our first newsletter was published in March 2021, we were beyond thrilled. After many months of dreaming, collaborating, researching and writing, Bonds Magazine was officially born! While we were proud of what we had created, it was the community that came forth and supported us in our endeavor that has made this journey truly extraordinary. By sharing their personal stories, speaking with us about their experiences, creating empowering jewelry (magical Leah Fox) and filming grounding yoga sequences (wise Natalie Marnica), this community of women kept showing up for us and each other.

Yet, despite all the support, life outside of Bonds got complicated for us - anxieties flared, work/life balance became unbalanced, COVID exhaustion took a deep toll, and more - all things the whole world is grappling with. It was hard to admit to ourselves and each other that perhaps we needed a break, but our pace didn’t feel sustainable and so we hit pause. But not stop.

A fairy tale version of Bonds would perhaps have looked something like uninterrupted bi-monthly newsletters that quickly went viral with millions of followers, but that’s not our journey or the goal - we are here to grow as individuals and as a community, we are here to share and to learn, we are here to connect with women who want to connect with us, and we believe that is very much worth celebrating. 

Bonds is our life’s work, and while we may need a bit more time to find more balance, to rest and recharge, we can’t wait to return with renewed momentum and we hope to reconnect with you so very soon.

As we have found acceptance in our need to pause, we hope that you too allow yourself a pause if needed. Perhaps that just means putting your phone on silent for a few hours, or maybe going device-free for a weekend. Whatever it looks like to you, you are deserving of that break.

We will write sooner than later, and cannot wait to reconnect with each of you. Thank you for being part of this community and wishing you health, happiness and loveliest of pauses in 2022.

Love,

Sylwia and Emily