As we head into the holidays, we’ll be around more people than usual. Some are family and close friends who know about our gluten issues. Some are people who don’t know us at all.
Many of them don’t get it.
They may try to make a gluten free meal without understanding cross contact. They may add “just a little” flour to thicken the gravy. They may joke that people ate bread for 1,000 years and only now are we having a problem.
Give them grace. But giving them grace doesn’t mean eating the gravy.
You may not be able to fix it with a better explanation of cross contact, and you probably won’t win the argument about how long celiac disease has been around. What you can do is be prepared:
- Eat beforehand if needed or bring enough food for a whole meal.
- Talk to the host privately and ahead of time. Tell them you have a serious autoimmune disease, you’ll be eating the food you brought, and you can’t wait to enjoy their company. Be kind and clear, and don’t make your meal negotiable.
- Decide in advance which comments deserve a response. Some people are curious and just need information. Others want an argument. You get to choose how much energy to spend.
It’s one day, or a few days, in a year of living. It may not be perfect, but my immune system isn’t either. So make your choices, have the important conversations early, and then enjoy the company.
This is where we live—in a world that isn’t really built for us. But we persevere and do the best we can. If living gluten free is something you’re trying to navigate with grace, style, and humor, join us at Fat Celiac.
Think. Understand. Laugh. Live better with celiac disease.
What’s one thing you’ll tell your host ahead of time this year?
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