There's light in the world, and it's cheesy and delicious

Over 2000 moms and dads. Hundreds of families fed each week. Doesn’t this just light up your soul? 

For anyone who’s feeling like they’d like to kick 2020 in the butt…

Back in early April I was feeling helpless. Do you even remember the beginning of the pandemic? It’s a little blurry, but I remember total lockdown, hitting refresh every 30 seconds on every grocery delivery app known to man, and then that feeling of helplessness. I’m not good at feeling helpless. I’m much better when I’m being helpful. 

Apparently, a lot of other moms feel that way too!

 When we finally got a Coscto delivery, it was like we had ordered enough to feed a small army. So I went to my happy place: cooking. And I cooked enough to feed a small army. But since I didn’t have a small army to feed, I posted on some local moms groups asking if anyone was struggling because of coronavirus, and would they like a (contactless!) meal delivery? 

 That was April, and now we have over 2000 moms and dads who have joined in the fun. They’re in 36 states across the country, in more cities than I have even had a chance to count.

Why does this matter?

This is a challenging time for our country. So many things have happened this year to divide us. COVID put us in physical isolation. George Floyd highlighted some long-standing racial inequities, and deepened racial tensions. Our president was impeached and acquitted, the process underscoring the growing political divide among our nation’s citizens. And most recently, the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the ensuing supreme court nomination has empowered some, and infuriated others. At least in my lifetime, we as a country have never experienced so many concurrent events seemingly designed to sunder a nation.

But then… there are so many individuals who truly do want to help others in their community. Regardless of race, regardless of political affiliation, regardless of anything. Mom after mom, dad after dad, neighbor after neighbor are signing up to make a meal from the heart and bring it to a complete stranger. To show that stranger love, in a time of chaos. To show that stranger someone truly cares about them, no matter what they’re going through. These are judgement-free acts of kindness, and they truly inspire me to believe we as a nation can emerge from all of the chaos stronger.

But it’s just one meal, how can that really make a difference?

Turns out, one meal has a huge impact; ask the families who have been on the receiving end. For some, it’s food they didn’t know how they were going to afford that week. For others, it’s the first time they’ve come together as a family after losing a loved one to COVID. For still others, it’s emotional relief, a reminder that there are good people in the world who want to do something kind simply because they can. 

These stories that I read every week, they’re why I keep going. They’re why I can scroll through my Facebook feed and ignore the hate and division – because there’s another picture of a mom who got a lasagna and it made her cry with joy. They’re why I get up early, stay up late, and juggle all the things – because there’s another lasagna mama out there who can fill someone’s heart and belly and I want to reach her. They’re why I have hope. Because now I know - even during these times - there’s light in the world. I just didn’t know it would come in a 9x13 pan of lasagna.