By Williamena Kwapo | OBSERVER Staff Writer
Malika Lewis is spending more time than usual in her kitchen. Her goal is to duplicate her mother’s recipes so that they taste exactly like her cooking.
“She cooked everything from scratch,” Lewis said. “She taught me a little trick instead of using flour. She doesn’t like to use flour when she makes things thicker. She uses cornstarch so I’ve been incorporating that.”
Lewis’ mom, Stacey Joy Hosier, was diagnosed with brain cancer in February 2020 and lost her battle in October 2022. In addition to Lewis, 28, she left behind a 10-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter.
Since Hosier’s passing, Lewis is doing her best to keep her mom’s memories alive.
She remembers Hosier as not just her mother, but someone who was dedicated to the well being and full tummies of everyone. Cooking was Hosier’s thing. It now has become a way for Lewis to feel close to her mom, trying to make every meal perfect, just like her mother used to.
“She was the greatest cook. If I had the money, I’d have bought her a food truck,” Lewis says, smiling through the sadness.
Lewis lived with her mother in Lakeport for most of her childhood. She moved to Sacramento for college and stayed. However, every holiday, she’d drive from Sacramento to be with her mom for their special Christmas Eve tradition. They’d wrap presents, bake sweets and stay up late, wake up in the morning and open presents – ordinary things that meant the world to Lewis.
“Not having that tradition anymore is hard. It’s like missing a big piece to the puzzle,” she said, her voice carrying the weight of the absence.
Siany Hart and her family are all too familiar with that feeling of grief. On Sept. 26, 2022, about a month before Lewis lost her mom, Hart’s sister-in-law Madison Rose Hart passed away at 22 from a brain tumor.
Hart, 20, a student journalist at Sacramento State, recalls the moment she found out about Madison’s illness.
“We found out earlier that year … and we were told we had about six months left with her,” Hart recalled, painting a picture of the difficult months leading to Madison’s passing.
Madison was viewed as family to the Harts before she legally was, having dated Siany’s older brother, Shaunard Hart Jr., for a while before marrying in March 2022.
The loss of Madison, especially so close to the holiday season, cast a shadow over the family’s celebrations. Hart described her relationship with Madison as intimately close, like birth sisters almost. She felt her passing deeply.
“Even though we were all together, you could just tell that something was missing, like her presence was missing. I really feel sadness,” Hart shared, describing the bittersweet holiday they experienced.
To honor Madison’s memory, the Harts decided to do something simple but meaningful: place an ornament with her picture on the Christmas tree. The ornament, adorned with angel wings, becomes a tangible reminder of Madison, a way to keep her close during the holiday season.
“We kind of just bring up memories and sit and talk about her,” says Hart, capturing the essence of a family’s effort to preserve the warmth of Madison’s memory.
Lewis and Hart have found a way to keep their loved ones close in the ways they know best during the holiday season. In the simplicity of cooking and decorating, they find ways to navigate the complexities of grief.
“If there’s one thing I could advise others to do, it’s ask questions about your family history and your loved ones’ lives,” Lewis said. “Record them. Write things down. Take photos. Take the time to really learn about your family before it’s too late.”