Day 1189 Comfort Food

 

Comfort food, there’s no denying it. Right or wrong, we turn to food to feel better or to send a bit of homemade love. After my fun day in NYC, I had settled in for a good night’s sleep, only to wake up and see two missed calls at midnight from Tim’s sister… never a good sign. I woke Tim up, telling him he’d better check in with her, even at the 1 a.m. hour. As expected, only bad news is delivered in the middle of the night.

Tim’s oldest brother had passed away suddenly, to the shock of everyone. He leaves behind his beautiful wife, three grown children, many grandchildren, and of course, his six younger siblings. He was only 76 years old, far too young to leave us. He had just been on the boys’ trip to Florida for the football game, spending six days with Tim, his son, his nephew, and their brother Ray. I’m grateful the guys had this last trip together; time is the most precious commodity we have.

So, in morning, still trying to digest the news, I set out to make cinnamon buns. Cooking being just about all we can do in a helpless situation. I made a plate for my sister-in-law, knowing she’d be too sad to eat one, but equally sure she’d appreciate the gesture. Tim and I visited with her for a while; thankfully, she had her sister and a good friend by her side. My heart breaks for her. I simply can’t imagine the indescribable pain she must be in.

After our visit, we met up with Tim’s brother Ray and his family, everyone needing hugs as the shock settled in around all of us. There are no words to describe this kind of pain. Those of us who have lost someone close feel it like a knife every time it happens to someone else. Those midnight phone calls always bring me back to when I was ten years old and woke to the news of my grandfather’s passing—the first of many losses I’d come to face.

Tim will be needing a little extra love this week… and maybe a homemade treat or two.

In times like these, we hold each other closer, speak a little softer, and remember that the simplest comforts can mean the most.

“Grief is the price we pay for love.” —Queen Elizabeth II