Tonight, I made Kasha and Bows for dinner.
Kind of an odd way to start a post but you will understand why in a moment.
Right now, I am fighting a cold. I wanted matzo ball soup but I didn’t really have the desire to leave the house and I’m too cheap to Grubhub or Door Dash a bowl of soup.
So… I made myself kasha and bows.
While I was making it, I was reminded of a time when I couldn’t take care of myself.
After Steve passed away, I couldn’t eat.
It wasn’t on purpose.
I wasn’t on a hunger strike or trying to hurt myself.
I just couldn’t eat.
Food was not a priority and when I tried to force myself to eat, I would gag.
So, I just didn’t eat… for weeks.
My family and friends tried so very hard to get me to eat and when I look back at it, I think I just needed some time to heal…. My insides were in utter turmoil.
My cousin Lenore and I have always had a love of kasha and bows. It was a special treat when my Grandma Thelma made us this traditional dish.
While I was struggling to come back to living, Lenore dropped off a batch of kasha and bows knowing that it was one of my favorite dishes.
I ate it. Not a lot. Just a little, but enough to bring me back to better times.
So, she made more….
And I ate that too…
Slowly, my appetite began to improve and I added other items to my diet
It’s a little embarrassing to admit I ate mostly kasha and Nothing Bundt Cake.. I was surviving off of kasha and cake!
But thanks to Lenore and to my love of carbs, I was eating!
So tonight, as I made myself kasha, I was reminded how far I have come.
It has been almost 4 years since Steve passed away and there are still times when I feel lonely and overwhelmed with all of the challenges we have had to overcome and all of the responsiblities I hold.
But while I sat and ate my kasha and bows, I reminded myself that although life is unpredictable and full of many challenges, I can do hard things.
Sometimes, we need other people to help us get back on track and that is okay.
When your life isn’t going as planned, don’t forget to look to the people surrounding you.
I am so grateful that I am now making my own kasha but I will never forget all of the help and support I got along the way.
Sometimes, all it takes is a bowl of kasha.
onedayatatime 