I’ve been thinking a lot about death lately.

This has been a very hard year. My partner lost his uncle in January. Then my grandmother’s sister passed away in March, followed by her brother in April. In March we also lost my dad’s oldest brother, and in early May we lost his older sister.

Last month we unexpectedly lost a coworker in the office. And this week I learned of the passing of my former classmate, Alicia.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about regret and making the most of what time we have.

In life we don’t make mistakes, we make choices. Sometimes those choices lead us down paths that we were not expecting. Sometimes those paths lead us towards regret.

But regret is a trap. It pulls you backwards in time and prevents you from healing and moving forward in life.

I am not a religious person, and the beliefs I have I tend to keep close to my chest. But I learned early on that wastefulness is a sin, and throwing away food when others are starving is the worst manifestation of that sin. I am not saying that we should eat rotten food, but sometimes things start to go bad before we can use them.

And then the guilt sets in.

But we are not living with guilt today. Today the regret does not win.

Last week we tried a new brand of pasta sauce that we did not like, so the leftovers went into the fridge. I had a bag of potatoes that were really old. I had half a pound of shredded chicken languishing in the freezer.

I began by prepping the potatoes. First I cut away the parts that were starting to bud. I threw out any green potatoes, or any with brown spots inside. I cut the remaining potatoes in half, then sliced them into half-moons.

The potatoes went into my large frying pan along with all my seasonings. While I began cooking the potatoes on the stove, I defrosted the chicken in the microwave. Then I pulled apart the larger chunks with my hands before adding the chicken to the pan. Last I added the sauce and some water to thin it out.

I mentioned earlier that we didn’t like the pasta sauce. To help improve the flavor, I added a few tablespoons of red pepper pesto. If you can’t find this at your grocery store you can either leave it out or substitute with a quarter of a cup of diced roasted red peppers.

Once the potatoes were cooked through, I served this with some sour cream and lemon-zested green beans. The green beans were simple: drain a can of green beans, add lemon juice and lemon zest. I also added pickled jalapeños to my chicken, because I love myself.

In my mother’s culture we are taught not to fear death. It is a natural part of life, and cultural traditions honor those who have passed before us. La Flaca cares for all of Life’s creations, and when it is time she welcomes each one with love. Alicia’s passing was a kindness, and I will remember her vibrant and happy and surrounded by love.

Chicken and potatoes with tomato sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound shredded chicken

• 1 pound potatoes, sliced into half-moons

• 1 cup tomato-based sauce

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 3 tablespoons red pepper pesto (optional)

• 1/2 cup of water

• Poultry seasoning

• Garlic salt

• Black pepper

• Paprika

Directions

Add a little oil and paprika to a large frying pan and bloom paprika over medium heat. Add potatoes, garlic and seasonings. Cook until potatoes begin to brown. Add shredded chicken and tomato sauce. Mix thoroughly. Add half a cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cover. Lower heat to low and cook until potatoes are tender. Let sit a few minutes before serving.