Joyful Eating
Whenever I read about “the quintessential” this-or-that, I approach with caution. I’m usually a little disappointed because I’m a hype king. I need to temper my expectations before I get too far ahead of reality. So you can imagine my surprise when I read a National Geographic article about the sharing of food as being something of a quintessential human experience. In this article, there is a reference made to a phrase I commonly employ, which is “to break bread,” with another. To quote from Victoria Pope’s article “The Joy of Food,” which I have referenced below and linked in my bio, “‘To break bread together,’ a phrase as old as the Bible, captures the power of a meal to forge relationships, bury anger, provoke laughter. Children make mud pies, have tea parties, trade snacks to make friends, and mimic the ritual of adults.” [1]
This is a picture of my son and his first bite of cake. I suppose snack or mealtime has the potential to be something of a centerpiece for rather profound emotions. Those of you without food allergies probably have mostly fond memories of such occasions. But perhaps it might surprise you to know that families of children with food allergies often have fear or anxiety about these same occasions. A survey of parent(s) / guardian(s) of those with food allergy revealed that 50% of family social activities were impacted because of allergy. Some even went about avoiding certain situations entirely because of food occurring before / during / after the situation-in-question. In regards to school-related activities, 59% avoided field trips, 68% avoided school parties, and 10% avoided school entirely. 41% reported significant stress because of food allergy. For some, this fear or anxiety extends to areas much closer to home. 26% of respondents avoided camp and sleepovers, 10-11% avoided parties / sports, and 11% avoided play at others’ houses. [2]
Fear is an interesting thing. In proper amounts, it can be motivating and even constructive. But it has a harsher side that can really impact those involved. We know that fear can be good. We know that it can also be bad. But do you think it can be both at the same time?
References
1. National Geographic. The Joy of Food. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/joy-of-food/ (Accessed on February 24, 2020).
2. Bollinger ME, Dahlquist LM, Mudd K, Sontag C, Dillinger L, McKenna K. The impact of food allergy on the daily activities of children and their families. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2006;96:415–421.
