Things That Make You Rich (Part 2: Bread)

If you read pt. 1 of Things That Make You Rich (Flowers), you may be waiting to hear about how bread or bread making or baking was my number two item that came up on my rich life list (if you somehow landed here without reading part 1, head over here now and read that first).

But bread had not even entered my radar yet. 

I did not bake (except from a box.. Trust me, no judgement, I’m still an avid cake from a cake box person), I had not heard of sourdough, really didn’t consider myself a bread person at all, and did not pass go or collect 200 dollars (because I always lose at Monopoly, but that’s another story). 

The dabbling into the bread world didn’t start until a couple (or few? I really don’t know) years later. It started because I was disturbed at the ingredient list of the bread that I was using for my children’s sandwiches (and, I guess, mine too). 

Solution: make my own. 

Yes, that would be the answer to all my bread additive woes.

And so I started making my own bread while on maternity leave with my third, in the week before giving birth. Because a completely normal and reasonable thing to do is to make dozens of loaves of bread while 100 months pregnant.

I’m going to be honest, my bread was mediocre, at best. But my family were champs eating it up without complaint as the bread of their sandwiches crumbled in their hands.

But in time, I happened upon sourdough bread, and began to learn how to create a seriously delicious loaf (if I do say so myself). With tweaks and adjustments I found my groove, and began to expand my baking list to include other items, like english muffins, naan, and flour tortillas. 

Even up to this point, I can’t say that bread was making my life any richer… busier, maybe. But not richer.

It’s not until I started selling my bread (and flowers… can’t forget about those flowers) at the farmer’s market that bread made my life richer. And no, it didn’t do this by raking in millions of dollars in sales each week. It did it by giving me the opportunity to create healthy, tasty, bread for people in my community to enjoy.

The key to the richer life here was not in the baking of the bread, itself, but in sharing and connecting with others. 

It brings me joy to watch someone smile as they leave with a loaf that I crafted for them. And to know that I am sending them home with something that tastes good, and doesn’t contain the junk that is present in so much of our food today. 

There is enjoyment in talking to a member of the community about their own sourdough journey, and in hearing from my repeat bread lovers about their day as they stop by for a new loaf each week. There is fulfillment in sharing with my community.

We all have little opportunities to make our life richer by connecting, sharing, and doing for the people around us. 

Back when I worked as a social worker in hospice, my husband used to (half) joke that I was out there doing important things while he was just drawing comics, his career at the time. But he wasn’t just drawing comics. He was creating something for others to enjoy. To take their mind off a stressful day. To connect to their kids with at night while reading.

Sometimes making a richer life is about a mindshift. About having an awareness of the impact of the things we do on the people we care about and in our community. And then appreciating ourselves for it.

When you can recognize the way that you are educating, inspiring, providing for, supporting, or giving to others, you are better able to lean into that further and tap into your rich life… all while making their life a little richer, too.

You also do this in other, sometimes less obvious ways. Like when you stop by a farmer’s market or into a local business and support their work. Or when you attend a local event organized by a community organization.

You do it as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and neighbors when you guide and support the children in our community. 

You are wonderful and add so much to the world. I want you to be able to not just recognize this, but to feel how rich you already are. 

So, in the end, the title of this article may be a bit deceiving. The thing that makes you rich is not bread, but in the community and connections you are building every day.

… but good bread doesn’t hurt!