RecipeMuncher

Julia:  Mom, do plums have seeds?

Me:  No, they have a pit.

Julia:  What's a pint?  (rhymes with splint)

Me:  No - a PIT.

Julia:  What's a TIT?

Me:  A PIT!

Julia:  What's a PIT?

Me:  The hard thing in the center of your plum.  It's like one big giant seed instead of a lot of little ones like blueberries have.

Julia:  Oh.

(she continues to eat, I continue to type)

Julia:  I found the pit!  It IS like one big seed!

Me:  Yep!

I’ve been avoiding writing about what I’m about to share because writing about it - putting the words in a permanent place - somehow makes the situation seem more real.

I keep telling myself that things will be alright and that I should keep certain things private (this is supposed to be a food blog, for God’s sakes), but right at this moment, at this time, I need to let some of my feelings out…

CH’s mother, a woman of amazing beauty and grace, is dying of cancer. It’s a terrible, painful, frightening, unfair, and completely incomprehensible situation. She was diagnosed just over a year ago, and has been fighting like hell to beat it ever since.

I’ve known Suzanne since CH and I started dating almost 11 years ago, although I could never have predicted the impact that she would have on my life at that time. Over the years, I’ve grown to think of her as another mom, as well as a wonderful friend.

Suzanne invited me into her tight-knit family with open arms, and has always gone out of her way to make me feel loved and included. In fact, some of my fondest, early memories of dating CH include his parents. And although that might sound funny, they are times that I’m truly grateful for.

I’ve never met someone as strong, sincere, and intelligent as Suzanne is. Our conversations have ranged from politics and international travel, to the ins and outs of zoning laws and shopping for comfortable shoes. As a result, I’ve always loved the way that dinners with CH and his parents have drifted into 3-hour territory (regardless of where we all were or what time it was), solely because none of us could stop talking…

Suzanne is a force to be reckoned with - both at work and at home - and I absolutely love her for that. She’s taught me so much about the importance of family, of standing up for your beliefs, and of following your dreams. And I am infinitely grateful to her for the unparalleled job that she’s done of raising her kids - CH is an incredible boyfriend in no small part because of his mom.

My sincerest hope is that during these last few weeks Suzanne can feel her pain replaced by the warm embrace of her family and friends’ support, love, and pure adulation, which is exactly what she has provided to all of us for so many years…

I’m so proud to have known CH’s mom and simply can’t imagine the world without her, but I do know that we are all better off for having her in it.