Bloggers without Borders and a Pie for Mikey

I am quite a positive person. That is something that I have learned to be. When bad things happen, I tend to look for on the bright side. When bad things happen to people I know, I always think to myself, well you only get things that you can handle. I imagine that maybe up there in the sky, someone is handing out circumstances. Like someone is saying to themselves “I have 20 of these situations, I will give them to the strong people.” Let me just explain, I don’t really do anything religious (haven’t been to a temple in more years than I am an adult) but I do believe that things work out in the end. And I do believe that we learn to deal with whatever comes our way. So when I hear a story about loss or hurt or families torn apart, I try to rationalize it but for a very long time, it hangs over my head like a cloud, I go on with my day but there are moments where I just think about it. And nights, that is when it seems to come back into my heart. This year has been full of tough moments, but as I am a private person, I tend to keep these moments to myself.

Just a little while ago one tweet broke my heart. It was from a food blogger that I have been following for years, Jennifer Perillo from In Jennie’s Kitchen. I have been following Jennie and reading her blog, and we have had a few tweets back and forth, but I don’t know her personally.

The one thing I remember is her writing in a post where she talks about her daughter’s breath, I was a new mother at the time, hormonal and exhausted but one paragraph just rang true in my mind.

The way the Virginia pops up in her crib, all sleepy-eyed and joyfully squeals “Mama” is better than a steaming cup of coffee. The smell of Isabella’s morning breath. Well, call me crazy, but I’ve loved it ever since she was a baby.

To this day, every time my son wakes up, I think of how much I love his morning breath, as weird it sounds, I can’t believe that I created him. It’s strange what you remember from people’s posts but when you find something in common with someone that writes, your heart feels like it belongs.

Just over a week a go, when Jennie tweeted something vague about someone being gone, my heart hurt, but when I heard it was her husband, who had a sudden heart attack, the thoughts have not left me since. She is now left with her two girls to take care of and the love of her life is gone. This is one of those times, when it is hard to see the light, but of course I know that she will move on. All she asked after this tragedy was for people to bake a pie for their loved ones and it seemed like instantly people were warming their kitchens, clasping their loved ones and baking pies for Mikey.

That is all Jennie asked for in her hard times, for you to bake for someone you love.

This week, a non-profit called Bloggers without Borders was started by the amazing Three Many Cooks. They started this organization to help bloggers in need, to bring bloggers together and this week everyone is rallying together to help Jennifer. There are beautiful auction prizes, a place to make donations and everyone can give what they can.

Here is where you can donate if you are able to, follow #afundforjennie for the awesome auction prizes or just check out Jennie’s blog and show your support

This is one of those reminders that life is short, cherish what you have. Take a moment to enjoy the little things in life; love, the people around you, people that care and even morning breath.

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