10/02/2026
I wonder what Brie of nine years ago would say if she could see me now. I don’t think she’d believe it.
Nine years ago, I was working at a Panera after a number of jobs hadn’t worked out. I’d stop showing up for shifts, or try to get coworkers to take them for me, because I always seemed to find something that felt more important than showing up.
I was deep in struggles with substances and my mental health. I didn’t understand what I was dealing with, and I was trying so hard to function like everyone else.
Every once in a while, I’d work an early morning shift—sometimes still drunk or hungover. I vividly remember the overnight bakers finishing up their shifts and the smell that filled the bakery: fresh bread.
Baking bread now brings those mornings back to me, and instead of feeling disappointed in who I was then, I’m grateful I remember and I feel immensely grace & gratitude for what she went through. That version of me is part of my story. She reminds me how much can change, how much is possible, and that this life is worth putting in the work for.
Nine years ago, I was just trying to make it through the morning.
Now, I’m looking forward to mornings like this.
I look forward to the day I can serve you fresh bread in the morning, pour you a mug of coffee, and maybe pause for a second to take it all in. ☕️🍞
Thank you for supporting the dream I didn’t even know I had ♥️
