My two worlds came together today. I was logging in to send an email to my former First Sergeant, who is now stationed at Fort Hood. When I went online, I saw the news about the shooting that happened there today. Fort Hood is our nation's largest Army base, and so from a reasoned perspective the likelihood of her being one of the victims was pretty low. But from another perspective the other possibility hit me hard.
We were both in DC on 9/11. We discovered when we started working together in 2006 that we share a pretty incredible bond from that day. The possibility that that story was ending in a new, unexpected chapter today was very painful to consider.
I am like many military people, balancing that tough act of preparing for the worst and embracing the best. Over the past few years I've watched as people I know have had to carry out the incredible duty of accompanying the remains of their friends on the final journey home. And I've prayed to have strength should the time come that I am called into that service. I've held my breath for months on end as friends and family have deployed overseas. I've said countless prayers. And tonight the unthinkable was happening on our own turf.
Tonight I held my breath, said many prayers, and I cooked. Two of my culinary school classmates are guest chefs for a dinner at our school tomorrow night. I was there for their first recipe test, and there at the second, when they nailed a wonderful three course vegan menu highlighting flavors of the American Southwest. Tonight I was supposed to go to a class I've been taking but my heart needed nourishing more than more my head. I joined my friends at the Natural Gourmet and worked side by side with them and their students, preparing the ingredients for tomorrow night's dinner.
My heart goes out to the families who tonight are being visited by strangers bearing unbearable news. I pray that they find the solace and strength to get through these dark days. I pray for my dear friend, now a Sergeant Major, that she too has strength for her new challenges, looking for answers to what happened and helping our Soldiers and their families.
And I say a prayer of thanksgiving for the safe harbor of the kitchen and the nourishing friendship therein.
