I bet to most people that title probably sounds like an unusual question, but that question is something the gluten-free homemaker recently asked.
Obviously, the idea is not to celebrate having Celiac Disease, but instead to celebrate the fact that you’re living a healthy and gluten-free life!
The other day my 17-year-old son asked how long it had been since I was diagnosed. It will be eight years this fall. He said he thought we should have a party when I reached 10 years. A party? To celebrate finding out you have a disease? That’s not what he meant, and what he said was very encouraging to me. He thought we should celebrate the fact that I have learned to cope so well. He was old enough to remember the changes we had to go through, but he is very aware that much of the food he enjoys today is a result of my having to learn to cook all over again. While he knows that it’s hard, he sees a lot of good that has come from it, and he sees me as being someone who succeeded in the face of a big challenge. My thought was, it’s like climbing to the top of a mountain. You don’t celebrate the mountain, you celebrate the experience and the success of getting to the top. Celiac disease is still there and it’s pretty big, but I’m on top of it and enjoying the view. I hope you are too, but if you’re just starting out and the view from the bottom isn’t so great, be encouraged. The trail has already been blazed, and there are plenty of people to help you on the way. You can make it to the top and celebrate with the rest of us.
I think that kids always offer a fresh and unique perspective and am glad that the author took the time to share this. Do you celebrate having Celiac Disease and the gluten-free diet that keeps you healthy?
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