Dear Siblings of Allergy Kids

It is National Siblings Day, according to Facebook, anyway. It got me to thinking about my kids and their relationships. I am thankful for my kids. I am thankful for how they all deal with having food allergies in our family. I spent a few minutes writing a letter to siblings of food allergy kids.


To all of the siblings of food allergy kids,

I know it isn't easy.
I know it isn't fun. I know it is frustrating. You can't go places with the family to eat that you would really enjoy. You can't have food that is down right tasty. It's not fun. It out right sucks sometimes. I know.

I know. I also know you care. I know you worry. I see that you care, even when you wish it was different. I know you care because you don't complain (much). I know you care even when you make jokes.
Those joke are a release of sorts. I get it. I don't always allow it. I get frustrated with it but I get it. I know.

I know that you avoid foods because it isn't safe for your sibling- even sometimes when you aren't with your sibling- just because.

I also know that sometime you jump at the chance to have something that you can't normally have, when you food allergy sibling isn't around. That's okay. It's also okay to feel weird about it. It's okay to love those moments, too. You need to know, I'm right there with you.

I've seen you give a safe treat to your sibling, when you didn't have to. I've seen you really appreciate your food allergy sibling sharing his unsafe dessert from a sports event. You know he didn't have to take one but he got it for you. You know there are ups and downs. I know you feel good and bad about things. I know.

You've told people time and time again that your sibling can't have an item because of food allergies. I know that you hate it. I do, too. But I know you get it. I know you sacrifice. You understand. I know that despite how much you wish it wasn't real, you know it is.

You've shown time and time again that you understand and that your heart is bigger than your appetite. I wish everyone could think and act the way food allergy siblings do.

Thank you for your love, understanding and respect for your food allergy sibling. It means the world. It really does.

7. The discipline of writing

I am a writer. No, I am not a paid writer. I write, so therefore I am a writer. Writing is my favorite way to express myself. At an early age, I began collecting my thoughts in journals. I would write diary entries. I would write poetry. I would document my spiritual discoveries and prayers. Journal after journal... I think many of them are in various boxes in my garage. I'm not sure whether to throw them out or keep them. Writing has always been an essential part of who I am. It has a tie to the deeper parts of my soul. I suppose it is because I often write to express emotion or spirituality.

For a while, I stopped writing. I'm not talking about this blog. I mean, I stopped writing all together. It reflected something deeper. It reflected a negligence.

This Lenten season is renewing of many disciplines for me, including writing.
I'm already feeling refreshed.

6. Progress

My garage is a cluttered mess. It is a catastrophe. It seems that every time we move it gets worse. I am not sure if that's true. I long to have a clean organized garage. I envy my neighbors that do. When I drive by those storage places, I tell myself, "That's where my neighbor stores all of his junk." Maybe its true. Maybe its not. But someone is using the storage places. A whole bunch of someones store stuff there. It doesn't make me feel any better. I spent a couple hours on Tuesday organizing and cleaning out my garage. I started working on it because I was looking for a mint coin set that my daughter could use during a group presentation she is doing on money. It took a while but I found it. Boy, I was happy I found it! There's still a loooong way to go and a lot to do to clean out the entire garage. I can hardly imagine! But- I made progress and progress is good.
Progress is good. Whether I am cleaning out or doing a few push ups, moving in the right direction is better than not moving forward at all. I am aware that stagnation generally leads to degeneration. Baby steps! Baby steps are better than no steps at all. Progress. That's what I am after in my garage. That's what I am after in my disciplines.

5. Who am I?

On Saturday, I took a personality test. It was a short questionnaire based on the Meyers Briggs test. Then, my whole family took it- all 6 of us. I even read the questions to my 9 year old. The results were interesting. Fascinating, really. I think its a great tool to help understand others. I was unsure if my kids would be able to understand the questions well enough to get accurate results. I was a little amazed at how well the post test results descriptions fit.  It isn't defining but it is enlightening. On Sunday, at church, the pastor talked about spiritual gifts. He said that spiritual gifts work hand in hand with the fruits of the spirit. Spiritual gifts are basically a talent that you can use within the Christian community (church). Fruits of the spirit are love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. I couldn't help but think about how the different personality styles may correlate to different spiritual gifts.

Variety is wonderful. There is no such thing as an insignificant or irrelevant spiritual gift. Also, inferior personalities don't exist. You may wish you had different traits but all are valuable. I am who I am. But, who am I? That is what I am considering and have been thinking about since Sunday. I need to know who I am to reach my potential. At the same time, as look inward, I cannot help but hear the words of this song:

"I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still you hear me when I'm calling
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling
And you've told me who I am
I am yours"



Reference: 1 Corinthians 12, Galations 5:22-23, and the Song, Who Am I by Casting Crowns.