Last Thursday, I invited you in for our Miracle Morning coffee. As the café filled up — women chatting, coffee pouring, hugs happening — I realized something. I wasn’t sure who was there for Miracle Morning connection and who was simply meeting a friend or visiting with family. So we didn’t do introductions. We didn’t ask an icebreaker.
And as I made my way around the room, so many of you quietly said the same thing: “I was hoping to meet a couple of new friends.” Not networking. Not business cards. Just… connection.
So I owe you an apology. I didn’t structure it. I assumed it would just happen naturally. And sometimes it does. But sometimes women are waiting for someone to open the door.
So going forward, we will. We’ll have a designated area for Miracle Morning. We’ll gather intentionally. We’ll ask one simple question to spark conversation — nothing forced, nothing awkward, just a gentle way to say: you belong here.
Can I share something personal? I didn’t understand how powerful community was until I moved to Florida. For most of my life, my community was built into my work. I led teams. I had meetings. I had people around me every day. Friendship was woven into my career.
But when I retired from banking and moved here… it got quiet. I didn’t know many people. I stayed close to my family. And after walking through a season of grief, the loneliness felt heavier than I expected.
It was actually my daughters who encouraged me to open the boutique I had always dreamed about. At first, it was online. Sales were slow. I wasn’t sure I had made the right decision. Then my husband said, “Why don’t you invite some of the wives from golf over?”
So I texted about 30 women and invited them to my house for a little open house with my boutique pieces. Sixty showed up. Sixty.
They were warm, kind, curious, full of stories. They reminded me of people I had loved and lost. And without even knowing it, their presence started healing something in me. They thought they were just coming to look at clothes. They had no idea they were restoring my spirit.
When we opened cYou in Lakewood, I felt that same vulnerability. I didn’t know many of you yet. I wasn’t sure who would walk through the door. And little by little… you did. You shared your lives, your transitions, your grandchildren, your struggles, your celebrations. You introduced friends. You told other women about us.
Community built this place.
And now I see it differently than I ever have. It’s not just coffee. It’s not just clothes. It’s not even just wine. It’s women sitting across from each other saying, “Me too.”
So this Thursday, if you’re craving connection — real, simple, unhurried connection — join us. We’ll set up the lounge area intentionally. We’ll begin with introductions. We’ll ask one question to open the conversation. And then we’ll let community do what it does best.
We can’t wait to “cYou” Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m.
With Love and Gratitude, Cyndi 💛