This happens to be an article which I have found hard to write. It started with a fairly straight-forward line of thinking. I found an article discussing how folks with food allergies have a lot of anxiety from it, and how I was going to share about my ability to relate to this from our own lives. But then, it started to really get into a much longer discussion, and a lot larger article. And I didn't want to inflict that upon anyone!
So, the short version is that my family has a lot of food allergies. Wheat, Gluten, Soy, Corn, Dairy, Tree Nuts, Shellfish, and the list continues. Most people aren't at all aware of what that really means, either. It's not just the item in question, it's all of the things made from that item, too. This makes the list of things we can't have quite long. And the discussions with folks who think they know what's safe and what isn't can get quite exasperating on both sides. Going out to eat is hard, because most places simply don't have enough choices that are safe for all of the food allergies out there, because it's far more difficult to accomplish than folks realize.
I admit it: It is stressful and anxiety-inducing when we have to deal with food outside of our own kitchen. It's not stressful because of my own food allergies. It is stressful as we navigate what others can or cannot have. And sometimes it means we end up leaving and not ordering anything, too, which feels very strange to do. But if there's nothing "safe" for the rest of the family, it's what has to happen. It's also hard if I am invited to go out to eat with others, separate from my family. It makes me feel guilty that I'm not able to have them share in that. So that's another layer of what is involved with that anxiety.
I'm really grateful that not everyone in the world has to deal with these types of issues. I'm grateful that the food allergies, to the degree we have in our home, are rare. But they are out there, and they are common enough that most of us know others who deal with it. I am also grateful that in the last decade, there has become a movement in the food and restaurant industry to eliminate a lot of the allergens. But there is always that chance...and that stress will remain. So, if you're out with folks and they are struggling with this issue, please give them some extra latitude. They are just doing their best. It would mean a lot to them.