By Memorial Day weekend. The bookend. We went to the cemetery — me, Marcus, Jasmine. Second visit since the headstone went in. Jasmine brought flowers again — daisies this time, because she said "Grandma liked things that were simple and pretty." She's right. Mama's aesthetic was elegant simplicity: the good plates, the ironed tablecloth, the flowers from the garden not the store. Jasmine gets it. She gets Brenda in ways that sometimes skip me and land directly in my daughter.
Marcus stood at the grave and this time he spoke. He said, "I won three debate tournaments this year, Grandma. You would have been proud. Mom was proud. She cried in the car." I said, "I did not cry." He said, "You cried." He's right. I cried. In the car. After every tournament. My son stands in front of judges and makes his case and wins and I cry in the parking lot and that is the full arc of a mother's pride: silent, wet, uncontrollable.
Third date with Derek. Sunday afternoon — a walk at Piedmont Park. Low-key. Comfortable. We walked for two hours and talked about our children and our parents and the way being a parent after losing a parent changes the job. He said losing his father at twenty-seven made him hyperaware of time — how much he has with his kids, how little he can guarantee. I said losing Mama made me hyperaware of food — how many meals we have together, how each one is both ordinary and sacred. We are two people who have lost parents and are raising children and are walking in a park on a Sunday, and the simplicity of it — the walking, the talking, the sun — felt like more than enough.
Cooked a big Memorial Day cookout at the townhouse: burgers, sausages, my ribs (the oven-to-grill method that has become my signature), a corn and black bean salad, and watermelon. Curtis came. Vanessa and Brian came. The kids were in the backyard. Curtis ate three ribs and fell asleep in the lawn chair. Brian manned the supplementary grill with the territorial confidence of a man who considers himself co-grillmaster. I let him. The yard was full of people I love and the food was mine and the sun was warm and I thought: this is what after looks like. Not happy instead of sad. Happy and sad, together, at the same table, in the same yard, under the same sun.
Every cookout needs that one dish that requires almost no effort but gets talked about the most — and this Avocado Black Bean Mexican Salad was it. I made it the morning before everyone arrived, thinking it would be a quiet side dish next to the ribs and burgers, but it was the first bowl to empty. There’s something about a salad this colorful and honest — black beans, sweet corn, crisp red pepper, creamy avocado — that fits a day about remembering and gathering. Mama would have put it on the good plate.
Avocado Black Bean Mexican Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 ripe avocados, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the base. In a large bowl, add the drained black beans, corn, diced red bell pepper, red onion, and cherry tomatoes. Stir gently to combine.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
- Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
- Add the avocado. Fold in the diced avocado carefully so the pieces stay intact. Add the fresh cilantro and toss one more time.
- Taste and adjust. Taste for seasoning and add more lime juice, salt, or chili powder as needed.
- Serve or chill. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving. If making ahead, add the avocado just before serving to keep it bright and fresh.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 285 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 11g | Sodium: 340mg