My usual bedtime ritual is to read Twitter on my phone as a way to settle down. Late last Sunday night a tweet regarding someone I didn't follow but knew of through her lovely blog, www.injennieskitchen.com, mentioned that Jennifer Perillo had lost her husband. As more details emerged it became apparent that he had died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving behind a young wife and two little girls. This hit home. . .hard. I don't know Jennifer in real life but I intimately know this. This pain of sudden loss. The way a little girl suddenly losing a daddy colors the rest of your life with what ifs and whys. It hurt my heart that these little girls would know the pain I knew. . .my dad died the same way when I was six and my sister was ten. We were forever changed. I had a hard time sleeping that night and this was on my mind all the next day. . .I felt out of sorts. . .it felt so strange to be so affected by someone I didn't know. This is what makes the Internet a truly beautiful place. As people far and wide offered Jennie Perillo love, hugs, hope, tears, help, or simply said they were sorry for her loss - people who would actually start their message by saying, "I don't know you . . ." it made me realize that even if we don't know someone in real life, it doesn't mean we don't share a common thread of human experience and that we can't reach out to each other.
Jennifer posted a beautiful tribute to her husband. In answering all the questions of how people could help her, she asked that people make Mikey's favorite, Creamy Peanut Butter Pie.
So I did as she asked, and I made a pie for Mikey. It was a cathartic experience. . .I thought about love, loss, dads, sweet little girls, hope, and how sharing a painful experience can make the weight a little lighter. I made mini peanut butter pies - little pies to share with people while telling them the story of Mikey and his wife, Jennifer Perillo. . .who I've never met but who touched my heart deeply.
Jennifer's Blog Post and Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
