An Open Letter to an Awesome Mom – A Food Allergy Tale

Dear Mrs. So and So,

Thank you.  Thank you for raising a child who, on his own, is thinking about other children and ways to include them.  He didn’t have to mention to you at breakfast that my son has a food allergy and he doesn’t eat the birthday treats that the other kids bring in.  He didn’t have to tell you that he wanted to make sure that his birthday treat was something that my son could eat too.  He didn’t have to be thoughtful and kind and generous…but he was.  You are doing an awesome job with this parenting thing.

Thank you.  Thank you for then calling me to ask about what it is my son can have that is safe. We have never talked on the phone before.  I’m not even sure that we have met.  But you didn’t hesitate to call to tell me that you were bringing in a birthday snack, and that you wanted to make sure that my son could share it too.  You didn’t have to be thoughtful and kind and generous…but you were.  You are an awesome friend.

Thank you.  Thank you for taking the time to ask me specifics about his dietary restrictions.  You asked me how exactly I bake gluten free cupcakes and muffins.  We were snowed in, and you didn’t have any ingredients to bake a GF option for the class, but you asked, and you cared, and you reached out to see what you could do.  You didn’t have to do any of this…but you did.

Thank you.  Thank you for telling me that your son wanted to bring in banana muffins. (Thank you for bringing in a healthier birthday treat!) You told me the ingredients, and what you put in them and that they turn out slightly darker because you add zucchini so that I could try to recreate a muffin for my son that will as closely resemble what the class will be eating as possible.  You didn’t have to stay on the phone with me to explain how you make them, especially with that deadline for work that we were talking about…but you did.

Thank you.  Thank you for being you, and for the son that you are raising, and for having one of the loveliest conversations with me that I have ever had with a stranger.  You didn’t have to do any of this…but you did.  And it was awesome.

Sincerely,

Sunshine ☼

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