Remember the During Times? During the most acute periods of the pandemic, we often spoke longingly of the Before Times, missing the days before we had to isolate and make cautious choices with every step. Today, COVID is still very real, and it’s not a small thing if you have it. But after vaccinations and re-openings, we’re in a different era. We may not think often about the During Times, nor invite ourselves to remember them. Who wants to do that?
My During Times were remarkably difficult. There are some things I value about that time. For instance, I learned how to genuinely enjoy my own company, a lesson that’s stuck with me. I still love traveling alone, and that independence brings me joy. But mostly, I was profoundly isolated. For 15 months, I saw about ten human beings, ever. Not ten people repeatedly — ten instances of human contact, total, and each time, at a big distance.
Simply put, I had no one to be in a bubble with me. The irony wasn’t lost on me. Day after day, I was doing a job building community for others, while I—an extrovert to the core—was entirely by myself. Every second of every day, for 1.25 years.
That’s the context. But this blog post isn’t about all that. It’s about a lasagna.
One day, one of the community members from the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan decided to give me a great gift. Her husband is a fantastic cook, and he made a big tray of lasagna. She wanted them to drive an hour to bring it to me. We had talked countless times on the phone, but we had never met in person.
So, she brought her husband and her dog, and they drove all the way to my house. We stood outside, I gave the dog some well-earned pets, and I thanked her for this gesture—for seeing me, for caring about me—the Community Care Director. It made me feel so loved.
Later, when I warmed up that lasagna, it wasn’t just a meal. It was connection. It was being seen and valued. And yes, it was delicious.
Why do I tell this story? Because in a world with so many system-wide challenges, it’s easy to feel small. But don’t ever think for a second that you can’t seriously change someone’s life with your care, your hospitality, your kindness, and your connection.
You are more empowered than you know.
— Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 
The only lasagna I’ve had as good as my mother’s was in Venice. In the Venetian restaurant they added more spices while my mother’s had more cheese. As for self-isolating during COVID, it was the most relaxing month of my adulthood. Just me and books to read and books to write.
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I bet that truly was the best lasagna ever!
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