To all of my allergy friends this holiday season,
It’s been FIVE years since my diagnosis, and in those FIVE years, I have learned a lot, and I have cried a lot about food. We are surrounded by it all day every day, of course, it consumes our mind when we can’t eat like everyone else.
Trust me when I say, I get it!
To my newly diagnosed friends, don’t worry, it gets better over time, but it’s still okay to cry. I do!
Learn this from me; NO ONE in your family or friends knows what you are REALLY dealing with or how hard it is just to show up. They don’t get the pain and emotion involved with not being able to eat what’s on the dinner table. Guess what, they won’t, and you shouldn’t expect them too.
I don’t know if the hurt will ever go away when they don’t even try to make an effort. What I do know is that it’s much better for my family and me when there are no expectations. What I’ve come to realize is this; if they don’t have to think about it every meal, why would they for one meal? You could pull the “well if they loved me enough card,” sure. But ultimately, it comes down to Me to take care of my health.
I have learned instead of showing up to Thanksgiving dinner sad about the things I can’t eat; I spend the money or time making the things I want to eat and bring them for myself and to share with others. I used to think, “Why go to all that work for just me?” That way of thinking wasn’t empowering nor fun. What’s fun for me is sitting at the dinner table, enjoying myself instead of crying in the bathroom because I couldn’t eat anything.
Does doing Thanksgiving this way take more time? Yes, absolutely!
Is it annoying? Yep!
Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY!
Here’s the beautiful thing about not having expectations of your loved ones; when someone goes out of their way to make or buy you something gluten-free, it means SO much more.
Lastly, don’t be sad about every holiday or event. Holidays are supposed to be fun and totally can be again. Try recipes ahead of time and know that some will fail, and that’s okay!! Let’s make this Thanksgiving the best one yet!!