Grief – Tate Basildon

Cursing, Guilt, and Growing Up: How I Survived Childhood Trauma With Humor, Healing, and a Chef’s Heart

Growing up with childhood trauma and overwhelming guilt after witnessing my step-father’s heart attack shaped everything—from how I curse, to how I cook, to how I manage chronic illness today. While emotional suppression can increase stress, inflammation, and heart risk, meditation, humor, cooking, and selective profanity helped me survive. If you’ve ever carried guilt, wrestled with grief, or learned to cope quietly, this story will remind you that you’re not the villain—you’re surviving with heart.

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The Stranger I Knew for 20 Years: A Long-Distance Friendship, One Missed Call, and a Final Goodbye

For nearly two decades, I had a deep, complicated friendship with someone I never met in person. We bonded over email, phone calls, cancer, cats, and clashing work styles. Then one day, I almost didn’t pick up the phone. This is a story about unexpected grief, long-distance connections, and why you should never let a call go to voicemail.

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Death by Magnet: When MRI Protocol Fails, Chronic Illness Warriors Take Note

A tragic MRI accident in Westbury, NY, has one private chef and chronic illness survivor reflecting on medical safety, invisible disabilities, and the emotional weight of navigating life with sarcoidosis and heart failure. For fellow spoonies and debut authors juggling symptoms, appointments, and everything in between—this one hits close.

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Grieving from Afar: Coping with the Loss of a Best Friend

Discover how to cope with the grief of losing a best friend when distance prevents attending their funeral. Explore heartfelt reflections on mourning, friendship, and finding closure from afar.