This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Barbara "Babs" Costello, the 73-year-old TikToker who runs the account . During the pandemic, my daughter Liz was expecting, so I told her I'd hunker down at her house and help her out with my two grandsons. One afternoon, when the boys were napping, Liz said, "Mom, I think you should try TikTok." I have four children, eight gran
dchildren, and my gut reaction was immediately, "No, thank you." But Liz insisted I could teach people about cooking. I come from an Italian-Lebanese background, and food in those cultures and my family was sacrosanct. But I don't have any professional training. Liz convinced me to try a recipe, a very simple meal, and post a video about it in April 2020. I thought it was one and done, but when I read the comments, I was amazed at the support I got from that one little video. It was a very uncertain time, and I, an older lady, was bringing some solace and peace to people who were watching. I never in a million years imagined I'd get to 2 million followers on TikTok and 1.3 million on Instagram. I'd been retired from being a teacher for more than 10 years, and I never thought about followers when I posted that first video. Our growth at the beginning was steady. Then, we had periods where it just went gangbusters. Now, if I go to the grocery store, people recognize me. We've struck a chord, clearly.
