Twenty Six
At twenty six, I have been eating and have been fed by many different things. Sometimes I am fed in the literal sense and leave a friend’s home with a belly full of goodness and other times I am fed through an experience that helps me gain more empathy or through a powerful poem that keeps my spirits up when things get tough. The beauty of this list is that I think I could write it a hundred different times with no repetition. I’m lucky to have found so many things that fill me up.
After reading, I hope that you too reflect on what feeds you and dive into what is and what is not filling you up and feeding your soul.
Farmers. Because they make the rest of this list possible
Getting to teach girls to catch frogs like my dad once taught me.
Two whole chickens from a Quechua town in Ecuador, a gift and a sacrifice, and still the best chicken I’ve ever eaten.
Books. Especially of the banned variety.
The blackberry bushes along Q street in my college town. We had breakfast crumble for weeks after that one day of picking.
Spending time in the woods with Hamish and Oliver.
All of the mistakes I have made but especially that one time I put a spider in a girl’s bed at summer camp. I’m still sorry.
All the milkshakes I’ve ever had.
A sunrise on the bay in a boat full of powerful women.
Contra dancing.
The chocolate and rhubarb cakes that Holly baked this July for a triple birthday celebration at the farm. Love dripped out of every bite.
A book of poems by Andrea Gibson. Especially, “What You Wish You’d Said to the High School Guidance Counselor”.
My friend Cassidy's glow when she face-timed me after shaving her head.
Swimming in warm fresh water after a summer in the chilly sea.
Jumping off of Kawaihoa as many times as possible for one special week once a summer.
Bringing dogs to the beach.
My friend Emi’s pies or her cookies or her brownies, but definitely her pies.
When Sue reminds me “We can’t always and sometimes we just don’t”.
A picture of my brother smiling next to his fiancé in matching golf outfits.
Moving from Virginia to Massachusetts to New York to California to Maine and learning how many definitions home can have.
Phone calls with my mom.
Eating mango and watermelon after playing soccer in the sun.
Going to the movies after reading the book with someone else who has also read the book.
Toasted bread with butter and honey.
My friend Malia’s laugh.
Not knowing how it will all turn out but being grateful I stuck around to see it to the end.
