{Pass the rolls please}

I came home from college for Thanksgiving break a couple of days ago, & all of a sudden, I've got like this bedtime or something. It's like my mom forgot how I'm 20 years-old, & in college, so my body is wired not to need sleep at a normal person's time, you know I find funny, because when all of my older cousins would come home from their college breaks, or whatever, they would talk about how they would stay up really late, wake up with barely enough time to brush their teeth before class, take long naps during the day, & then do it all over again the next day, which is just something I didn't understand at the time, but trust me, I GET IT NOW! But my mom, she sends my brother & sister Taylor to bed, {because who knows where Maddogg5 is since she's always running around with some school activity & is way too cool to hang out with her sister who came home to spend time with her, whatever, loser} & then my mom looks at me like going to be at 10 o'clock is something she expects me to do. As much as I'd like to be able to fall asleep at 10, we all know I'm just going to sit here until nearly 2am until my eyelids give out. My mom has this brilliant idea of me working on some of the homework I had brought home with me over break. Uhh, well, this is me doing my homework, Mom. I mean, paper topics will always be permanent, however, the thoughts that run through my head, are not always guaranteed that they'll be there in the morning when I finally decide to wake up from hibernation. 

So since this week is Thanksgiving week, I want to highlight on something that I am most thankful for. It's my food allergies & intolerances. Yeah, I know, that's something strange to be thankful for, but really I am thankful for them, even though most of the time it doesn't seem that way. The most commonly asked questions I get when someone is talking about food are: "Can you eat this?" "Will this make you sick?" "Is there gluten in *fill in the blank*" My all time favorite is when a guy asks me on a date & pulls out the "So this place is good for you to eat at, right?" {Future suitor tip: always call the restaurant ahead to see if gluten-free options are available, it shows that you really are putting an effort into the date.}

For those of you who don't know, in 2011, I had my gall bladder removed which caused a whole other realm of problems for me. I started seeing a specialist out of Omaha, did several, I mean several, medical tests, I can't tell you how many times I've had my blood drawn, & I've even had to eat radioactive eggs, but hey, that's pretty cool, I'm gong to asks the cooks at the restaurant where I work if they want to add those to the menu, I highly doubt they'll take me up on the suggestion, but hey, you never know! I have a gluten allergy {DQ2 Heterozygous} which leads me to live #myglutenfreelife. I am also lactose & red-meat intolerant. So with Thanksgiving coming up, it's kind of a depressing holiday for me. I can't take part & dominate in the roll eating contests with all my cousins, or chow down on some fatty turkey gravy.

But you know what? That's okay. Sure, I may be a little jealous of everyone eating real food, but remember my mom who makes brilliant suggestions, well she was kind enough to buy me some bread mix so I can make my own rolls, & my own gluten-free turkey gravy, so back off cousins, you can have the real crappy stuff. The healthy stuff is all mine! & just let me tell ya, pumpkin pie pudding tastes just as good, if not better than a pie with the crust.

That's what I'm thankful for. For having the option to be next to normal with other humans on holidays such as this. Yes, I know it's not the same, but I feel like God put this struggle in my life fr a reason. I may not see exactly why He did right now, but someday, I know I'll find the meaning behind this. Right now though, I'm going to choose to look at this as a positive thing. Since I have had a complete diet & lifestyle change, my health has significantly improved, that should be something to rejoice about. 

My Lord has been very giving & has always provided for me, He has blessed me with doctors, & medicines, & surgeries, so many things that people anywhere else in this world might be deprived from. But I want to thank Him for giving me the opportunity to reap the benefits of those commodities. He has given me my health back. Not to say that everyday is perfect, & there are still days when I feel like this isn't fair, but He's given me the change to live on my own & to just be a college kid, just one with a little less fast food in their life. It's just so crazy how one little thing has the power to completely turn your entire world upside down not necessarily as a bad thing, per say, but as a blessing, you just need to have the mindset that it will be okay. Even I have a hard time grasping that concept at times, just ask my mom, I can;t tell you how many times I called/still call her bawling about wanting to eat chicken fingers or something stupid like that.

I would like to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. Be sure to acknowledge the small things that you should be thankful for. 

Eat a roll or two for me this week! 

Peace & love.

B.