I remember going to visit my best friend not long after her first child had been born. I’d been prepared to be awestruck and delighted by the new baby, but I wasn’t at all prepared for the rush of emotion I felt as I watched my oldest, dearest friend navigate early motherhood.
She was, as I think most new moms must be, overwhelmed, exhausted, and sometimes gripped with fear. But in spite of it, she was completely competent: decisive, tender, and patient in a way I couldn’t even imagine being. She rose to the challenge because she had to, and she did it with grace. I was so proud of her.
I’ve watched most of my friends become mothers in the last decade, and it has been really, really cool. I know that’s a funny word choice, but it’s the one that keeps coming to me. I’ve been by turns impressed, touched, fascinated, and inspired by the ways in which each of them have adapted to their new realities and expanded identities. Now I’m watching them hold their families together through quarantine, and once again, I feel proud.
I can’t help but think of them today, on Mother’s Day. I’m also thinking about the ways in which we’ve all done what I watched Chloe do three and a half years ago: we’re rising to meet a challenge because we have to. None of us were prepared for this, but we’re doing our best: taking care of ourselves, working to protect others, staying connected in new ways. It’s amazing what people are capable of.
For many folks, myself included, this day can bring up mixed emotions. I think the poignancy is heightened right now, with the world in a state of crisis and uncertainty. I’m greeting this Mother’s Day as an opportunity to celebrate nurturing and care-giving in the many forms that they take.
I’m saluting the many strong biological mothers that I know, but I’m also celebrating caregivers everywhere. And I’m including myself in the appreciation. I haven’t been ushering a family unit through this crisis, but I think I’ve taken pretty good care of my mom. I’ve taken good care of myself, too. I’ve been reminded of my own self-sufficiency and ability to self-care, which is a gift, just as caring for others is a gift.
At this moment in my life, the way I’m able to nurture outwardly is through creating food and recipes. I wouldn’t be able to do that without having people to share them with, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to all of you for allowing me to do that. Thank you for letting me feed you, virtually. It feeds me, too.
Happy Sunday. Here are some recipes and reads.
The texture of these black bean veggie burgers is amazing!
Homemade bubble tea would be a fun, first-time project for me, and I totally trust Lisa to show me how it’s done.
I’m always happy to have a new way to prepare tempeh. Caitlin’s peanut tempeh looks so flavorful!
A comforting bowl of mushroom garlic farfalle.
Finally, I can’t stop staring at the top of Izy’s beautiful vegan sourdough brownies!
1. Many of us are doing a lot of Zoom and Facetime, but what about physical touch? Slate takes an interesting look at how certain technologies may be able to stand in for it.
2. A sobering, but informative consideration of how drug-drug interactions might hinder new COVID-19 treatments.
3. I’ve heard it said that, if you’re bored at this moment, you’re lucky. I get it, but for those of us who are quarantining solo, monotony and stillness can be challenging. I really enjoyed reading Mary Mann’s perspective on boredom.
4. I can’t really imagine what it’s like to fly right now, but I was very interested to read about how airlines are trying to protect those who need to do it—and how they might shift their protocols for the future.
5. Finally, two beautiful and inspiring video compilations. The first is from Ballet de l’Opéra in Paris, and the second is a fundraising effort from ABT. Art brings us together, even when we need to remain (physically) apart.
Love to all of you. More recipes on the way.
xo
A week ago, I wrote about bullet journaling and starting new tasks without expectations of permanence. I stuck with a very basic form of the journal through the week, and as I did I started to feel not only a sense of pleasure at having a new way to stay organized, but also the pleasurable experience of feeling as though I was reinhabiting an old self. It was the self who could accomplish ten tasks before noon, who rose with the sun and…
I’ve had a lot to learn in the past four weeks, as is true for anyone who assumes a new role. And like most fresh hires, I’ve been overwhelmed at times. The patient-facing care comes easily to me. It’s continuous with what I do as a private practice RD, only more specific and with a different group patients. But one-on-one time with patients is only part of the job. When I’m not counseling, I’m busy reviewing medications, brushing up on lab values, navigating…
This past week, I came across Luke O’Neil’s reflections on his struggle with exercise bulimia in Esquire. The article made me grateful that more is being written about (a) exercise bulimia (I linked to a CNN article in which my friend Abby shared her story a couple weeks ago) and (b) the need for a more gender-neutral discourse about eating disorders in our society. O’Neil sums it up well: “[A]s much as our generations-long assumptions about how men are supposed to behave and feel…
As I was drafting this post, I thought about the fact that weekend reading has become such a special routine for me. I’m an early riser, and on Sunday mornings, while Steven is still sleeping, I’ll sit by the window in our apartment, sipping coffee, reading articles, and gazing at recipes from food bloggers across the web. It gives me a chance to collect my thoughts as the weekend winds down, to catch up on health and wellness news, to think about content that might…
Leave a Comment
Gena, what a lovely and profound tribute to Mother’s Day and all kinds of mothering. Thank you. Those sourdough brownies look so tempting and I also really loved the Swans for Relief video. I saw it before you posted it and couldn’t get through without a dry eye. I donated. <3 much love–