Sometimes Life Is Unfair

Sometimes life is unfair.  That's what I had to tell my daughter Hailey last week.  She asked me, "Mommy, why did God make me with food allergies?  It's just not fair."  She is usually OK with the fact that she can't eat wheat or drink milk, but it was one of those days when a fellow classmate had brought in cupcakes for their birthday and she was feeling down because she couldn't have one.  Her teacher is awesome though.  On those days, she personally walks Hailey to the cafeteria to pick out an Italian ice or a popsicle.  I just found that out a couple weeks ago when she called about a trail mix they were making in class.  I love her school.  They are so careful with the kids who have allergies and I really appreciate it.

So, I found myself in this conversation with Hailey about life and how some things don't seem fair.  I told her that life hands us all kinds of things and, fair or not, how we handle them is what matters most.  I told her that we have to look on the positive side of things because we can always find something good in every situation.  I told her that even though life is unfair sometimes, we have so much to be thankful for.  I tried to get her to focus on the foods she can still eat instead of on the ones she can't eat.  She felt much better after our talk and I felt better knowing that I had cheered her up a little.  (It kind of reminded me of playing "The Glad Game", like in the movie, "Pollyanna".)

This week, I find myself having to replay that conversation and listen to my own advice.  I received a call from my doctor last Friday night that my blood test for celiac disease was positive.  In order to get a firm diagnosis, I have to have a biopsy of my intestines.  However, given my symptoms, my history, and my other blood work, I have decided not to have the procedure done to confirm it.  It has pretty much confirmed itself.  The treatment would be the same no matter what the test shows...no more wheat, rye, or barley for the rest of my life.  I also have to eliminate dairy from my diet for at least the next few months so that my intestines can heal and be able to process lactose properly again.  I am already starting to feel a little better not having wheat for a week now, and not having dairy for a couple days.  I have a long way to go, but I am confident that I will be feeling amazing within the next six months.

I blogged a couple of months ago about how I felt like a change was coming.  I don't know if this is what that change is all about, or if it's the changes going on around the world, but this will definitely be a change in my life.  The first thought that came into my head was that I was glad I had an answer.  Immediately following that positive thought was a negative thought.  "This is just one more thing that you have to give up...one more thing that makes you not normal...one more thing to worry about."  Once I took those thoughts captive and realized that I didn't have to let them fester I felt better.  It would be very easy to once again go down the road of self-pity.  But as they say, "Been there.  Done that."  I definitely don't want to go down that road again.  I'm choosing to be thankful that this is something that can be treated with diet changes and not medication with possibly horrible side effects.  Sure, it means I can't eat several things that have always been my favorite, but it also means that I'm going to start feeling better and I can't wait!

Is it "fair"?  Well, I don't think so.  But, what is fair?  Is it fair that people get cancer?  Is it fair that earthquakes and tornadoes and hurricanes kill people and destroy whole cities?  Is it fair that someone gets injured on their job and has to go bankrupt?  Lots of things that happen in this life are unfair.  The truth is, I really do believe what I said to my daughter is true.  Unfair and bad things are going to happen to everyone in this life and it's how we choose to handle them that matters most.  We can make a bad situation much worse with a bad attitude.  I'm sure most of you have seen the following quote, but I wanted to share it with you anyway.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes."  ~ Charles Swindoll

I am sure that there will be days when my attitude will be less than pleasant regarding the fact that I now have to read every single label on every single thing I eat.  I have to be very careful when I go to restaurants.  Gone are the days of onion rings and french bread and my favorite pastries.  But, I've already had a head start in doing the exact same thing for Hailey for over a year now.  We already know things that work and things that don't work. AND, I have a beautiful sister who also has celiac disease and she is sharing her knowledge with me.  That is priceless.  Even though I know there will be "those days", I know that the majority of my days will be spent being thankful.  How could I not be?  I serve a God who loves me.  He is answering my prayers regarding my health and I'm getting answers to questions I've had for a long time. 

So begins my new journey.  If you are a friend of mine who lives close by, you just might be getting a phone call from me to come be my gluten-free recipe guinea pigs.  : )  Remember that no matter how unfair life seems, there is always a reason to be thankful.  Always.