![Obed Manuel Family Jose Father](https://www.cpr.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto/https://wp-cpr.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/09/Obed-and-his-family.jpg)
Like a stretched-out panic attack. That's how Obed Manuel describes witnessing his father's months-long battle with COVID-19. Obed, audience editor at CPR News, reflects on loss and cooking, a symbol of his parents' love. He wrote about his experience for the Texas Observer in "On the Coronavirus, Loss, and My Mom's Tacos."
![](https://www.cpr.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto/https://wp-cpr.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/09/Obeds-Moms-Tacos-1024x1024.jpg)