I’ve always thought about making dishes for people who’ve lost loved ones or recently given birth, but never actually done it. I don’t know why I’ve never followed through, I guess it seemed silly. What if they didn’t like my cooking?
The day after Bluey died the lady next door {June} dropped by with a plateful of just cooked vegetable quiches. It was something simple that she’d whipped up, but it meant the world to us. When you’re ridden with grief, everything seems overwhelming, especially eating and cooking. We got two meals out of those quiches. They soothed our tummies and our souls.
The day after that she popped back and asked if Lacey wanted to come and play. I had only met her twice, and I didn’t usually let Lacey play with people I don’t know well. I’m over-protective. But I sent her off to play, because I wanted to relieve her of the heaviness of our presence. Plus she was a mum of five kids, and I could tell she was good soul.
A few days after that she popped by again and said that she was heading off to playgroup and then to a festival in town and would love to take Lacey with her. Lacey jumped up and down at the prospect and off she went.
I mentioned to Hubby that it was very foreign for me to do this, to allow her to be with someone I only knew for a short time. Even with the kids I nannied for I liked to keep them near. Instead of sending them off for play-dates, I’d arrange them at our home so we could all be close.
It was a relief to not have to put on our brave faces for once, because there wasn’t a perceptive toddler around. It was a blessing to see Lacey so happy and excited, to be free from the heavy.
June sent through a photo of Lacey and her new little friend Lani while at play, and their smiles couldn’t have been bigger. They were so happy. And it made us smile, a rarity during that week.
I was {and still am} so touched by the kindness of June. I know that next time someone loses a loved one or gives birth to a new bub, or even just needs a little love, I’ll be cooking up a batch of something to drop around. It really does make a difference, more than I could have imagined.
Oh Chantelle. Grief is vile. And even from this, we adapt and change and learn.
xxx
She sounds like a beautiful person. Like you, I've always liked the idea of baking muffins or cooking a meal for someone in need but have never done it. It's funny how the smallest gestures can often touch us the most xxx
amazing what little gestures can do for your heart xo
I do think that special people are brought into our lives right when we need them the most. 🙂
She sounds just lovely. Food feeds the soul more than the belly anyway. I know what you mean about the over-protectiveness. In about a week a babysitter will be coming to look after Riley for the day. It will be the first time someone who's not a close friend or family member has looked after her. I'm terrified.
What a lovely gesture. Thinking of you all, lots of hugs. xx
What a lovely lady. I think kindness is greatly underestimated. Sometimes the smallest kind gesture can make the biggest difference to someone going through a tough time.
This is so beautifully written, I hope that your grief is eased by such a lovely thing your neighbour has done, it really is those small things that make the world of difference. I went grocery shopping with my two children not too long ago and when I came outside to return to the car with trolley baby and toddler in tow, there was a great downpour. I was so stunned by the generous gesture of a lady coming in to the shops that offered to walk with me sheltering the children with her umbrella. It was the nicest thing that I have had a total stranger do for me 🙂
Lovely to have such a caring neighbour.
When my sister in law had her 2nd baby last year I cooked up 2 batches of lasagne, and a big pot of pumpkin soup, cut up and wrapped the lasagne into 1 serve pieces and put 1 person serves of soup in containers, and put them in her freezer the day she got home. She and hubby were very thankful, they were eating them for weeks 🙂
What a lovely soul. We all need neighbours like that. xx
This is something I've doe for a long time – I love to cook and I love to feed people so, to me, cooking up a batch of something when someone is doing it hard (whether grief, illness or a new bub) is one of the easiest, most simple ways to say “I care about you”. I might not be so good with words in real life but at least I can feed them and know that I've helped a little bit.
Isn't that sweet!? What a lovely lady.
I made lasagne for two different families, just after they had their bubs. It gave them a much-needed night off cooking, and gave me a warm fuzzy feeling for doing something nice.
It's people like June that remind us that the world really is beautiful, even when our little world feels darker for the loss of someone so special x
What a nice story 🙂 So glad it worked out well!
When the lady upstairs had her baby a couple of months ago, I cooked up a double batch of vegetable and lentil soup. They are country people, so I suspected lentils might not be their cup of tea, but the soup is delicious (with bacon) and so nutritious, just what they needed. I also baked a large warm apple cake.
When I went upstairs and knocked, mum and bub were in the bathtub, and the new father seemed SO SHOCKED and almost alarmed that I had brought food. his reaction took me aback! I am sure it was appreciated, but it made me realise how removed from each other we are these days, that a mother of a baby (me) taking food to the mother of a brand new baby who lives meters away was completely surprising to them.
Made me more determined to do it more often, haha!
Food deliveries during difficult times are an amazing thing to do. It means a lot that someone went to all that trouble! When my baby died our midwife (and dear friend) brought over a heap of lasagne's and chocolate cake to put in our freezer. OMG it was so good to have them there in the coming weeks when it was all just so hard. It was like getting a great big hug from her everytime we popped one in the oven. I will never forget what she did for us.
This is something I also do alot for people, last week I baked dinner and loads of muffins for a friend who has 4 kids just to give her a break. I also had a sick friend recently and i made 4 huge batches of differnt types of soup and put them in take away containers so she had enough to last for ages and dropped it around with bread rolls and yummy muffins…. i think this is the eaisest way to help out people and it really does make a difference.
I am so glad you had someone to help you when you were having such an awful week and to look after miss lacey so well. xx
I couldn't agree more and love to hear that June has been doing that for you guys and that Lacey has enjoyed her time with her. I was the same when I was striken by grief with all that has gone on this year after my brothers horrific accident. I found great comfort in the small things people did for me when I needed it most! From messages of support through to cooking meals for my family. I am forever thankful. Cassie xxxxx
How lovely and sweet she is! I am so happy that Lacey had such a wonderful time. I think we have an innate ability to sense who we can and can't trust. It feels good knowing how wonderful people are!
Take care. My thoughts are with you and your family.
June sounds like a sweetheart. People like that really are angels on earth. It's like nothing is too much trouble for them and they feel genuinely good about doing kind deeds for people. A heart warming post Chantelle xo
beautiful. love how the world helps you just when you need it x
I thought the same way as you did. What if I am a bother? What if they don't like what I made?
What your neighbor did was truly thoughtful.
She sets a very good example on what you should do in times like those.
Bless your cotton socks June! What a hero.
I had a friend come over the other day and booted me – a frazzled mother of three who has not had much time out for a really really really loooong time – out of my house for two whole hours! It was great. She is going to do it again she says, what a blessing.
Great to know that there are people out there looking out for each us, hey?
What a beautiful lady. One to treasure, for sure.
Our boss (of all people) cooked us a huge batch of spaghetti bolognese and put it into individual containers for freezing when both our girls were born. We used to joke that on nights when we couldn't be bothered cooking we'd get out the “takeaway'' – aka the boss' sketi bol!! xx
When my first marriage ended and my bub was only 6 months old my oldest friend in the world who I hadnt seen for ages turned up with a green shopping bag full of little tupperware containers of blended fruit and veg for my daughter…I kept those containers and I still look at them 5 years later and remember the warmth of people and how easy it is to be generous…thanks for the reminder!
Everyone needs a June when they are grieving. When we lost our baby boy last year an online friend from the other side of the country organised a local community group that she was affiliated with to bring us dinner each day for a week. I cannot tell you how much those meals meant to us. With a toddler in the house food was important and yet it was the last thing I could think about. It really made all the difference to us in our grief x