Holding Space for Hard Feelings—One Cherry Pie at a Time

Warmth Can Soften What is Sour

Hard feelings can be softened—slowly, gently—like tart cherries in a warm pie.

I’ve been traveling a lot lately—visiting family, catching an early flight, driving to Virgina to catch the auto train with my mom, and navigating long lines and luggage and short fuses.

Maybe it was the fatigue. Or maybe it was something deeper, but everywhere I looked, I saw it: people quietly carrying hard feelings.

A mother and daughter in silence across a restaurant booth. A couple tense on the plane. A man’s clipped tone at a café counter. All of them holding something beneath the surface—grief, irritation, resentment—that never quite made it into words. It clung to them like carry-on bags they didn’t know how to set down.

As a therapist, I know the signs of holding hard feelings. The way we harden, distance, protect. The sharp edge in the voice that isn’t really about the barista or the seat assignment or the cold eggs.

By the time I got home, I didn’t want to diagnose anyone or name what I’d seen. I just wanted to breathe again. To bake something with my hands.

So I made a cherry almond cardamom pie.

As I stirred tart cherries on the stovetop, I thought: this is what it means to stay with something sharp. To fold in sweetness, slowly. To let warmth soften what first felt sour.

The pie didn’t fix anything. But it helped me remember—hard feelings don’t have to be forced away or ignored.They can be tended. Held. Even transformed into something that nourishes.

If that sounds like something you need today, here’s the recipe—gluten-free, deeply comforting, and just a little bit soul-mending.

This recipe can be tweaked for you--Buy a pie shell or make your own. This is your therapeutic baking experience.

Cherry Almond Cardamom Pie (Gluten-Free)

Crust:

• 2 cups almond flour

• ½ cup tapioca starch

• 1/3 cup softened butter or coconut oil

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• ½ tsp almond extract

• Pinch of salt

Mix and press into a pie dish. Chill for 10 min. Pre-bake at 350°F for 10 min.

Filling:

• 4 cups pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)

• ¼ cup maple syrup or honey (adjust to taste)

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp tapioca starch

• 1 tsp cardamom

• ½ tsp almond extract

Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour into the crust.

Topping (optional): I made the crumble, but you can leave it off if you'd like.

• 1/2 cup oats. 1/2 cup sliced almonds. Two tablespoons of brown sugar. Two tablespoons of butter, or crumble topping of your choice.

  
  

Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes or until set. Let cool before slicing.

Whether or not you make the pie, I hope today you find one small way to stay with what’s hard—gently, sweetly, without rushing yourself.

Warmly,

Lori

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