We were told by Mr. Rogers to “look for the helpers” whenever tragedy strikes. And with the world as it is right now, so many of us want to help. We want to be the helpers!

With the holidays upon us, we are forced to deal with people, a lot of people. This is mostly wonderful. I love people. And being back together inside crowded spaces with poor ventilation is a true joy of the season. But with the world as it is right now, how do we navigate talking with all of these people? Because wherever people are, so is conflict.

Words can be powerful vehicles to communicate but they also can be incredibly inadequate. The past few weeks the words I have attempted to weave together have felt insufficient. But one word keeps popping up in my head. This word is care.

I remember walking around my Brooklyn neighborhood in April 2020 and noticing that I could only compare how I was feeling to a few tough moments on my solo trip to Kenya and Uganda. That is when I felt completely disconnected from those around me.

Every other Tuesday, you will find me teaching cooking classes at two supportive housing buildings in Manhattan. Learning about people’s lives as I show them some easy and affordable dishes that they can cook on a hot plate is inspiring, but also quite humbling. Most classes, I am the one learning.

We rarely had soda in the house as a kid. This effervescent, sugary drink was saved for special occasions where, still, moderation was encouraged.

Winter is here, friends. And the abrupt temperature changes in the Northeast along with the memory of recent winters past has made me seriously consider moving to a tropical island

When I was a kid, my parents were going through a bit of a health kick. Of course, I am now incredibly grateful for the foundation of healthy eating habits that they instilled in me, but at the time I was not a fan. I did not like to be told what I could not eat or eating the things I did not like. I wanted to have a choice.

Like you, I had some lonely moments these past few years

The hardest part of school for me was the group projects. Negotiating the different working styles, coordinating schedules and dividing up tasks without any kind of clash was never easy.

I have never been particularly enthusiastic about beets. It is not like I never eat them but they are the vegetable that is most likely to get old and wrinkled in my care.

I have a confession to make. Sometimes when I am really tired in the afternoon and I am sure no one is watching - I curl up on the couch and close my eyes for a few minutes.

As we hurtle toward the holiday season I am filled with memories of holidays past. I think fondly of all the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that define the traditions of my family. It is easy to get caught up in the anticipation of these coveted moments - especially after so many of our holiday plans were cancelled last year.

The past eighteen months has challenged how we work together. Many of us are feeling disconnected, undervalued and burned out. And, though we are all working in different contexts with different challenges - we could all benefit from a short pause in our day to meaningfully connect with people over lunch.

I hope you had a great weekend. I wanted to take a moment to share some exciting news. I recently created Community In Context LLC to house all my work under and to further build my consultancy.

As the cool air descends and the days start getting shorter, we can sense the season changing. As a kid this meant that my days of running around barefoot were being traded for new kicks, a heavy backpack and a return to more structured days.

The great re-emergence is upon us and if you are like me you are slowly inching your way back into society.

My sister brought home spinach last night, real live greens already harvested from her small plot in the nearby community garden. Lunch today was exponentially better with a hopeful salad bringing tidings of more of the green bounty to come.

As the sun grows stronger, the birds louder and the vaccination numbers larger by the day - I find myself gingerly picking up my gaze to the future. After months of not being able to make any plans - the fog seems to be lifting and we are finally starting to see a way forward.

The relentless news cycle will try to tell you differently - but you have to agree with me that you felt it too, right? If only for a fleeting moment, it almost felt like we touched upon some hope recently.