Family and Friends Who Believe

I am extremely lucky to have family and friends who are supportive.

There have been times over the years when I've received everything from sideways glances to bemused tolerance to outright dismissal of my assertions that allergies to certain foods were causing Luke's outbursts or hyperactivity.

But also over the years, I've had dear family members and good friends who have heard me out, believed me, sat around the kitchen table and let me pour out what I was thinking. They've supported me and supported Luke, and that has meant a lot. They always have fresh fruit on hand for him, always ask, "What can Luke have?" They shop for special foods for him, bring over boxes of rice spaghetti, or grill a special cut of meat, just for him.

I even have friends who have taken the leap of faith and tried adjusting their kids' diet, with great results. Kid's who were about to be labelled ADHD and now, just like Lukas, are regular kids.

I was emailing back and forth with a couple of these friends today, and it made me think about just how important it is to have a network of people who help and support each other, whether you have a children with food allergies or regular kids or no kids at all. The more we reach out and talk, and believe one another, the more we lift each other up.

So today, I thank my family and friends from the bottom of my heart for your support and help over the years, and for how special you treat my special kid.

One of these good friends sent this the other day and it made me laugh.

"The best part of life is when your family becomes your friends, and your friends become your family." ---Danica Whitfield