On any given day, you’ll find me working with words, not food. But this week is different. I’m at a complete loss for the words that usually come so naturally to me. So I’ll cook.
You see on Monday, we were driving up the 5 after a lovely trip to San Diego. Though I was forced to sit uncomfortably still, my mind was anything but. My creative energy had been fueled by two intense days at BlogHer. And I couldn’t help but feel a high from reconnecting with so many of the Yahoo! Mother Board ladies. In the short nine months I was lucky enough to work with them, I discovered that each of these women uses her unique voice to express a true love of life and family. They inspired and encouraged me, and reuniting with them made me realize how much I’ve missed being a part of that community.
So, in my restlessness, I found myself perusing my Twitter stream. I came across something that led me to believe something had gone wrong for one of the Mother Boarders. Terribly wrong. I saw the following: “He’s gone. And my heart is shattered in a million pieces.”
I quickly discovered that Jennifer’s husband had died instantly of a massive heart attack the day before. Without warning, he left Jennifer, as well as their 8- and 3-year-old daughters. Luckily she wasn’t at BlogHer. She was home with her lovely family preparing all kinds of glorious food to take on their upcoming family vacation. That’s what Jennifer does. She cooks. Everything. From scratch. And writes about it beautifully. So you can only imagine how much I admire her from afar.
And in the days since Mikey’s death, I’ve grown to admire her even more. She is handling her loss and heartbreak with such grace. She’s gathering with friends and family—planning a celebration and visiting the restaurant where they had their last date. And, like only a social media guru can, she’s sparked a movement across Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere. People have asked how they can help and she’s responded. Make pie.
So goodness knows, I’ll try. And on Saturday night I’ll share it with my husband. And my friends. And my friends’ husbands. We’ll eat Creamy Peanut Butter pie. We’ll toast Mikey’s life, Jennifer’s grace and the fact that—even during times of sadness and heartbreak—there’s so much to celebrate.
Photo from Flickr by Rachel Kay.
That was beautiful, Amy. I read it around 7 am Monday morning, interrupting Kelly and her husband in the backseat of their car. We were stunned. Couldn’t believe it.
I’ll be cooking next to you… a thousand miles away… but next to you. Glad we’re all able to share the love.
Here’s to a celebration of life that spans the country. Pretty amazing.
Damn, I cry every time I read one of these posts.
Me too.
I felt so bad to read that.. the part of her hubby’s sudden death. I just don’t know what to say. Life is sooo unpredictable, isn’t it? Just when you are in the middle of some mundane everyday task, it hits you in the stomach like you’ve never been hit before. I send her my good thoughts, strength and courage. I wish her girls the best. My heart aches for their loss.