Take my legs, but my taste buds stay


When I opened a fresh oversized bag of Sixlets the other day, I was inspired. I remembered the smell as a child, and as I ate them, the texture of the candy shell instantly brought me back to 5th grade and after school treks to the local gas station where we would buy ridiculous amounts of junk food.

And then, like so often in life, life happened, my injury happened, and my brain wasn’t in the best of places. But…even before I realized I could still be fabulous and in a wheelchair, I reached for food to help me feel better the moment they pulled out my vent tube and let me eat. And the first thing I craved?  Fresca and Stove Top Stuffing (there’s gotta be crack in each).

That first sip of Fresca post-vent made me feel like everything was the same; that nothing bad happened to me after all (if only for the moment I closed my eyes and took the sip).  Food has that magic ability like that.  What was the favorite thing your mom made for you growing up?  For me, every time I eat a cream puff drizzled in hot fudge I think of my grandma’s love and warmth (that I so so dearly miss).  It brings me back to my old life. A short journey into the past.

My spinal cord may be damaged, but my brain and taste buds are the same as they’ve ever been, and that really makes me smile huge inside. How many times have you thought, “I may not be able to walk, run or do the things I used to, but at least I can enjoy my favorite foods.” And boy is this true in my world.

Food truly is a comforting thing.  It is the equal opportunity past-time of all humans, and perhaps what I love the best about it, other than making me feel ‘normal’ again – No spinal cord injury can lay its hands on this joy. Even C1 quads..

BBQ, red velvet cupcakes, fresh produce for my garden, seriously…who needs a therapist?

What is your favorite food memory?


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