With a heart of thankfulness… A word from Lacy Wade of Making it Milk-free
I am proud to welcome Lacy Wade as AllerMates first guest blogger! Lacy has a son, Mason, with a dairy allergy, so she is certainly no stranger to our issues, concerns and hopes. Read her sweet, insightful post below, and be sure to check her out on her own blog, Making it Milk-free, where you’ll find some yummy dairy-free recipes and other mom-friendly advice. : )
During a recent Sunday church sermon, this quote really resonated with me: “Learn to live fully the life God has called you to, with a heart full of thankfulness.”
The holiday season is all about being thankful. It is a time to count our blessings. As the parent of a child with a life-threatening food allergy, focusing on thankfulness can be a real struggle during the holidays. After all, this season is also all about the food.
I will not say that I am thankful for food allergies. They are the norm for us though. I cannot even picture our life any differently. Yes, I would love to not have the fear and worry of a severe reaction every day. I would love to not have to pack lunches, dinners, and cupcakes for other kids’ birthday parties. But this is our life and I truly believe that we have received a multitude of blessings because of food allergies.
This life with food allergies gives us a voice; a platform to share our experiences and knowledge with those who may not know how serious food allergies can be. Talking about food allergies (even when it feels like no one is listening) may not always feel like it is worth it, but it is. We must keep talking. Spreading awareness takes time. Three years ago, when my child was the only child in his entire childcare center with a food allergy, I was confronted by someone who was of the opinion that it was extremely uncommon. I tried for what seemed like an eternity to share as much as I possibly could at every opportunity that arose. I even remember saying, “he is not the first child with a food allergy, and I can guarantee he will not be the last one you have here.”
Within just a few months, three additional children with food allergies began attending the center. On one hand, this is a sad reminder of what we already knew: food allergies are becoming increasingly too common. However, I am thankful to have been given the chance to help pave a path for other families on this journey. If talking about food allergies helped to keep one child safe because the staff is now more aware, it was worth it.
This life with food allergies gives us a support system; a team of people who understand what truly do every day to keep our kids safe. I am thankful for our family members who are well-versed in food allergies because they live with it daily as well. My son has a several cousins with food allergies too. They may have days when they feel like they are different from their friends without allergies, but they have grown up knowing they are more “normal” than most people think.
I am thankful for open communication with school staff that plan ahead, research, and feel comfortable calling me as often as necessary to ensure safety and inclusion for my son. I worry about his safety often enough, and knowing that I can trust them to keep him safe at school helps to ease that worry immensely.
This life with food allergies helps us to have a greater compassion for others. We know full-well what it is like to have to do things differently than most everyone else. We are not just advocating for our own children, we are advocating for every other child as well. We know how it feels to hear someone criticize something so deeply out of our control, and we learn very quickly to choose our own words wisely. We may be passionate about our own cause, but we are not lacking in compassion for others.
Some days are harder than others to remember to be thankful despite the struggles that living with food allergies can hold. But this holiday season, we are living this life fully that we have been called to, with a heart full of thankfulness – food allergies and all.