I wrote this newsletter before the news of the attack on Israel. I wanted to take the time to acknowledge the fear, hurt, and sadness so many people are feeling at the killing of innocent lives. While I am not Jewish, I can only imagine how scary and devastating this news is to hear - on top of growing anti-semitism in our own country. I think it is more important now than ever to speak out against anti-semitism and killing of innocent lives. Our friends and family need to hear that they are supported in these times.
Whenever there are events in the news where I don’t understand the current events or past history, I always turn to Sharon Says So. She is an amazing educator and discusses the nuances of the news in ways that are easy for me to understand. She said it best in her stories today when she said" “There is a distinction between people and their governments.” I think this is so important to carry throughout this crisis and tragedy. Innocent lives are being taken. Hundreds of thousands of people are having to take cover in bomb shelters and do not know when they will see “normal” again. It is devastating and my heart is with everyone who is impacted.
What to expect in this edition of Sunday Dinner:
My recent grief surprise
Help out our friends and fellow MSMMBI community member as her husband battles Stage IV stomach cancer
Our NYC Trip: Where we stayed and what we ate
Content Warning: Grief
I know grief comes and goes, but it still takes me by surprise every time.
I went into the trip a little down. There is something about the last week of September that is so emotionally hard for me. Five years ago it was the last time I would spend an extended amount of time with my mom before she got sick. It was a beautiful weekend and Missy and I convinced our mom and dad to take a trip down to Athens, Ohio where my dad, Missy and I went to school to watch the Ohio University Bobcats play a game. It was such a fun day. We got to eat some of our favorite college food and watch my mom and dad genuinely enjoy themselves.
I miss them so much. Last weekend we made the mistake of going to Cracker Barrel, one of the restaurants I associate with my parents, and it was just too much for me. My mom loved to buy Rebecca clothes from Cracker Barrel. She would get so excited… and look exactly like the picture on the left when she showed them.
My brother and Kelly are expecting a baby boy in March and I am SO excited for them. But I am so sad my mom was not with us at Cracker Barrel picking out clothes for him. I ended up buying a few things for my future nephew, going outside to sit on a rocking chair and then proceeded to have one of the hardest cries I have had in a long time.
I think another part of the reason my grief was triggered last weekend was because we found out that one of Missy’s friend’s husband did not receive good news regarding his battle with Stage IV stomach cancer. Her friends husband also happens to be someone I graduated with, and when you graduate with a class of 89 people, you feel close to everyone, even if you never really hung out. It brought up a lot of grief and complex feelings about losing Mindy and I started to grieve her, as well.
If you want to help support our friends…
The Keaseys, an adorable and loving family of four; are near and dear to our hearts. Nate grew up in the same town as Sarah and I did and is always known for his cheerful smile and laugh. Val, his wife, is a great friend that I met through other great friends who then Nate and they both fell in love (I got to be at their wedding too!) and they have been raising two beautiful children together.
Last September Nate was diagnosed with Stage IV stomach cancer and has had a tough journey thus far, at only 38 years old. He's undergone intensive chemotherapy, multiple difficult surgeries and still has a rough road ahead. He has also shared he’s making quality of life a priority to make the most his time with his precious loved ones. He is a fighter and truly has the most positive attitude I’ve ever seen. He hasn't been able to work and his unbelievable wife has also had to take time off work, and want her to be able to take off to spend time with loved ones as she needs without worry. With any tough medical diagnosis, life completely changes, and you need your people to rally around you to help. These funds will help in taking care of anything Nate, Val and the kiddos may need. Medical bills, meals, home expenses, you name it.
One thing Nate wants is a new larger, adjustable bed so he can comfortably sleep next to his wife and family.
Sarah and I want to help by sharing this moving story. In addition to my personal donations, we wanted to make it easy for anyone who wanted to contribute by microfundraising. Any amount can help. We also wanted to buy some prizes for those who donate to this wonderful family. Sarah and I love this community so much and we know how often we hear from people who want to help those in need.
New York City Girls Trip
I went into the our New York City trip in a grief funk, but still had a great time with everyone. I always laugh so much on our trips and leave feeling refreshed and motivated. I spent a few hours recapping our trip on our blog here - where we stayed, what we did and where we ate. What we wore is coming later this week!
That is about all I have in me tonight! Expect to hear from me again this week when I send out my Amazon Deals Days picks on Tuesday and Wednesday!
I will be reaching out to the winners of the 2 $50 Amazon gift cards and the Sleep Crown tonight - so keep an eye on your email! Once the prizes have been claimed, I will publish in next week’s newsletter. As a reminder, all subscribers are entered to win a weekly drawing prize of a $50 Amazon gift card until the end of the year.
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Thank you for your support! Have a great week <3
Beautiful writing, as always! Grief is sneaky and can come out of nowhere. I love how you were kind to yourself and acknowledged it. Xoxox
Thank you SO MUCH for acknowledging what is happening in Israel. So many of the blogs that I normally love made my skin crawl this weekend as they went ahead and posted as if everything is normal, without acknowledging the situation. I felt like I opened Substack and it’s as if nothing happened. Every Jew around the world is reeling. Your acknowledgment means a lot.