So This is How the Other Half Lives

I don't cook. I never learned. My few attempts over decades at making recipes have failed fueling a displeasure with cooking. I don't enjoy getting in the kitchen and mucking about. There's so much at stake. Expensive ingredients gone to waste, a dirty kitchen with piles of dishes to clean and a frozen dinner at the end of it all because the recipe didn't turn out.

But I do understand cooking. I admire it from afar. I've produced over a thousand cooking segments working with both established chefs and impressive home cooks. The advantage of producing cooking segments is that you get to taste each chef's creation. I've had countless of delightful dishes inspired from countries all over the world, as well as traditional American comfort food, homemade creations and the like.

My own meals are nothing like the above. Unless I'm eating at a restaurant or take out, my dinners primarily consists of frozen dinners, sandwiches, basic salads or cereal - although I do make a mean turkey chili. Then cancer came along, and chemo, and with it a good excuse to get people to feed me. And you did. For a month people have been bringing me meals thanks to the help of an app called "Meal Train." I had never heard of it, but my friend signed me up and I'm so glad she did. So I've had the pleasure of eating what most of you eat on a regular basis. The dishes have been a range of vegan to meat-lover dishes. I've had ethnic dishes, traditional meals, I've even had people send me gift cards to some great restaurants in Tucson.

I didn't know how I'd feel while going through chemo. As it turns out, I didn't feel too physically bad so I could have prepared my own meals. I even felt guilty knowing how much time and expense all my friends poured out for something I could have done for myself. But my sister reminded me that these meals were never anything I could have done for myself. As important, it allowed people to express how much they cared for me. Well, the message was well received. Thank you for the sustenance - both the edible and symbolic sources of strength.