When Life Says Pivot
Hospital runs, history stops, and a food quest that reminded me what #manifestandmake really means
The prompt today was Drop.
It came from a drop-in virtual writing studio I regularly attend. And though I have the two weekly sessions that I usually join on my calendar as recurring meetings, I love that it’s not a “class” requiring regular attendance. I don’t have to feel guilty if life gets in the way and I miss a session.
The last several weeks have been about pivoting, pausing—and yes, dropping things.
A family medical emergency prompted an unscheduled two-week stay with my in-laws in South Carolina. After a call to “come now”, we threw some things in the car and started the 12-hour drive during Monday afternoon rush-hour traffic. Our surprise visit originally planned for later that week, became a shuffle—cat care, work obligations, even transferring my Yankees ticket to a friend.
I brought a stack of books, as I usually enjoy reading with my morning coffee or evening glass of wine on their back porch. This wasn’t that type of visit. Our energy was drained by long drives to and from the hospital, running errands, and the constant intake of bad news.
I felt behind—on reading, writing, my summer of #manifestandmake—but once home, I realized this wasn’t true. There’s no due date. The goal has always been to live intentionally, and sometimes that means making the most of what’s in front of you.
Finding Joy Anyway
For those two weeks #manifestandmake meant leaning into family time. We looked through old photos, shared stories, and were grateful we could help when needed. And, as always, we found joy in food.
I unapologetically love food. I call myself an “eater” rather than a “foodie”. Our vacations often include food tours, and I’m an adventurous eater. I’ll try anything once and often come back for seconds.
I’m equally at home at a Michelin-starred restaurant or a roadside stand. If it’s interesting, tastes good, or there’s a story—I want to try it. This trip, our mission was to find the region’s best pimento cheese. Using an Eater guide, we hit five spots in two weeks. The winner? City Limits Barbeque—open only nine hours a week, on The New York Times “50 Best Restaurants” list, and run by James Beard-nominated chef Robbie Robinson, who greets you in line with the day’s menu.
We’re not “wait in line for food” people, but City Limits was close to the hospital, so we gave it a shot—fifth in line, 90 minutes before opening. I won’t list it all here, but we enjoyed brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, and more. Four tubs of the pimento cheese—regular and jalapeño, made it home with us.
We brought the smorgasbord to the hospital room and gleefully realized: yes, the food was absolutely worth the wait. It was some of the best brisket we’ve ever had. We had leftovers for days, and best of all, it gave us another fun food story to bond over. Truly a bright spot in a hard week. If you’re interested in seeing more photos of what I’m calling our Southern Food Tour, check out my Instagram.
A Little History
My husband and I share a love of history, we made time to visit the excellent Lexington County Museum one afternoon and enjoyed a guided tour. I was particularly impressed that they didn’t whitewash history in discussing the treatment of enslaved people.
On our drive home, we spent the night in Winchester, Virginia. After the heavy emotional toll of the past couple of weeks, it was nice to decompress with a good meal, a few drinks, and a walk through Old Town.
The next morning, we found ourselves near Antietam National Battlefield. One of the few major American Civil War battlefields I had yet to visit, it was a bit of bucket-list stop for me. I was struck by the juxtaposition: the absolute beauty of the Maryland mountain landscape and the peaceful cornfields that had witnessed so much carnage during the deadliest single-day battle in American history on September 17, 1862.
After our visit, we took the scenic route, and found perfect heirloom tomatoes at a farm stand.
Summer Isn’t Over
There’s still a month of summer left, but I’ve realized #manifestandmake, isn’t tied to a season. Life will throw things at us, but we get to choose how we react. I’m achieving my goal of living more intentionally and making the most of every situation.
The summer may be winding down, but we are always #manifestandmake-ing. What are you doing to live intentionally and make life happen for you?
This is beautiful written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am so happy you were there for Dee and Richard. If it makes you feel better, I am here as backup. But this vignette was lovely, from one writer to another.