letter
Joy to the World
T
he go-to meal my mom made for our family was spaghetti. Is it because she had picky eaters (namely, me)? Probably. But now a bowl of noodles in any red sauce brings back a lovely wave of nostalgia. She wants to make lasagna for Thanksgiving, but when I saw Jaime Lawing’s recipe for “World’s Best Baked Spaghetti,” I realized that might be the compromise. Find Jaime’s and other celebratory dishes perfect for parties and large gatherings – including not one, but two desserts by Baker Street Cookies owner Keri Efird, who made the expertly designed cookies featured on our cover, table of contents and right here on this letter page – on page 40. Food is comfort; it’s healing, both for the cook and the consumer. Cathy Kelly (pictured below), mom to our own Triangle Digital Partners President Rory Kelly Gillis, prepares a lunch for our staff that brings us together every other week. We all get to take a pause and reconnect over a thoughtfully crafted meal, complete with a main course and many sides, toppings, even something sweet. (Visit our website for a recipe handed down from Cathy’s mom, Cathy Rastelli Reed – trust us, you’ll be glad you tried her “Double Delicious Bars”!) “This is a labor of love,” Cathy says. “I do this because it makes me happy.” It is a reminder to me that it is so important to take care of one another at all times of the year, but especially in this season. I was asked recently what I was most thankful for. And truly, it’s that I want for nothing. That I am comfortable. That I am safe. That I do not know poverty, famine or the atrocities of war firsthand. Are there still profound sadnesses in my life? Sure. Do I fall prey to doom scrolling and have my heart break time and again over images on my social media, on news channels? All the time. You donate here, sign a petition there, do what you can for the causes and organizations you believe in. You do what you can to help. In this issue, too, we feature a handful of folks who are doing just that for our community – volunteering their time, energy and resources into leaving Durham a little bit better than it was yesterday – beginning on page 80. (Speaking of, if you’d also like to give assistance to nonprofits locally, check out our “Big Give” profiles that begin on page 91.) These dedicated souls are a reminder that there is still light in this world, and that is reason enough to celebrate. By lifting ourselves out of the darkness, we can fully appreciate and find joy in the blessings that life offers.
amanda.maclaren@durhammag.com THE COV E R Cookies by Keri Efird, Baker Street Cookies | Photo by John Michael Simpson 6
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