Agree and Disagree

I read a blog post a while back regarding food allergies.  The blogger mentioned other allergy blogs and how some were seemingly full of the despair of life with food allergies.  She was striving for her blog to be different.  I agree.........kind of............

Now that Bee is doing well and we have more better days than not, I can write with some hope and some peace knowing that we can make it.  I do hope that our story is an encouragement to others.  It is possible to stay allergen-free and to adjust.  And while it's difficult, it's so worth it!

However, despair, hopelessness, frustration, anger, and grief often creep up on me.  My blog isn't full of negative posts and stories exploring the dark sides of these feelings.  But those feelings exist.  I would be dishonest to even try to pretend that there aren't some days I just want to give up.  Where is the undo button?

So, I think I have to disagree.  I think everyone deserves to read a balance of both the good and the bad.  I can share our triumphs and our struggles.  And I can post about my feelings of excitement and hope as well as sorrow and hopelessness.

This life is hard.  Watching your child suffer is hard.  Radically altering your lifestyle is hard.  Food allergies are limiting and isolating.  I could never pretend otherwise.

And some days those feelings catch up to me.  I look at the future and am completely overwhelmed, and I lose my desire to keep moving forward.  But I'm going to continue to share, because I know every food allergy parent has been there, whether they're willing to admit it or not.

So, my blog isn't meant to be positive and uplifting and I don't intend for it to be a downer.  This blog is meant to be honest.  Someone needs to read this honesty and know they are not alone. 

But I hope that when you come away, you'll leave with compassion, resolve, and optimism, as well as a picture of a family who has come together to find a new "normal" despite the challenges of food allergies.