Sweethearts Candy Blog's

With the Academy Awards on TV just yesterday, it got me thinking about people in our lives that deserve the award for "Best Performance in Dealing with a Food Allergy."

As parents of kids with food allergies or adults dealing with food allergies, we can be faced with negativity at times. We've discussed this on this blog and also on my Facebook page (where I also asked readers to chime in on their "best food allergy performance" award-winners). However, most of us have those special people in our lives who go above and beyond for us. Or maybe we are impressed by our kids and how they handle their challenges.

In a previous post I discussed why I would give my daughter a "Best Food Allergy Performance" award. I am lucky that there are so many people in my life who support her and me even though sometimes dealing with food alleriges is inconvenient and even stressful for people. I'm thinking of my youngest daughter and how she is extremely careful about foods on behalf of her big sister and always is looking out for her. I'm thinking of my husband and how cautious he has become with regards to food, so that I feel truly supported and don't have to do all of the work myself.

Even more special, I'm thinking of the friends we have made who go out of their way--literally--to provide safe foods for my daughter. One of her friends even served "made in a nut-free facility" cupcakes at her own birthday party--just so my daughter could participate in the birthday treats. I'm thinking of the moms and dads who watch over my daughter during play dates and parties. I'm also thinking about the teachers who showed us empathy and did what they could to ensure that we could send our daughter into their classroom with confidence that she would be well.

I'm sure many of you have those special people in your lives, so be sure to thank them for all they do. Who would you nominate for "Best Food Allergy Performance" in your life and why?

Sorry, I'm just too proud of a mom to resist wishing my daughter Alexandra a happy 11th birthday today! She has taught me the meaning of grace under pressure with regard to the mature and matter-of-fact way she has handled her peanut and tree nut allergies from Day One. The girl has spunk, spirit and guts! Since it is Oscar Night after all, may I even say she has her own unique style and "True Grit." Even in kindergarten her teachers were telling us that she was careful with foods and would readily and (mostly) cheerfully decline anything she wasn't sure about.

My daughter was diagnosed at age 4 years old, and during one of our early allergy doctor visits, I remember how she decided to go to the doctor's appointment in a complete "Lizzie McGuire" (A past Disney TV series starring Hillary Duff, for the uninitiated :)) outfit including little high-heeled shoes and a purse. I know she was afraid but she put on her best fashions (!) and faced the situation with courage. She has always met her challenges with spirit, bravery and a positive attitude.

I'm also so happy at how she has grown. I find her independence heartening as she heads out into the world, though of course I still worry. She knows to check her own food, monitor many situations independently and educate her friends about food allergies while not making it the focus of her life. She is so much more than a girl with food allergies; it's just one aspect of her. That's how I want her to live and that's how she sees herself.

For many of you who have very young kids with a nut allergy diagnosis, take heart and make an effort to be cautious without focusing only on the negatives. We have tried to focus on the positive and my beautiful girl shows this confidence in everything she does!

Happy Birthday, Alex!

We'll we're officially snowed in today, here in Chicago, and ironically it is also Groundhog Day. For those of you who've seen the classic Bill Murray film "Groundhog Day" from the 1990s, you'll remember that being snowed in following a Pennsylvania storm is what prompted the plot of this film. Bill Murray's character had a bad attitude, was cynical and just generally not very nice. He was definitely a glass half-empty person and all around miserable. He didn't enjoy the little things in life much less the big things and his attitude affected not only his entire life, but the lives of those around him. Ultimately he was stuck living the same day, over and over again. However, when he changed his way of thinking, eventually, he was able to have a positive and bright future. His attitude was the key.

Why am I thinking about this movie with regard to food allergies? Well, it struck me this morning that for a lot of us, (including me, at times, I plead guilty) dealing with food allergies can feel like "Groundhog Day." After all, every day you're living with food, potentially unsafe situations and finding yourself having to constantly explain, over and over again, how to keep your child safe.

Can it get depressing at times? Of course. Sometimes we deal with this stress by getting angry at others or by having a negative attitude towards new people and experiences. Like the Bill Murray character, we think we've seen it all, done it all and may expect the worst from other people because we've been burned before.

Like anything else in life, attitude is key with food allergies. Sometimes, situations or events, like a food allergy death in the news or even an insensitive comment can get you down. But if you view living with food allergies as just part of life and even try to see the positives such as healthier eating for the whole family, you and your kids becoming more compassionate of others, even learning to be more assertive--you will get a better attitude and it will get easier. Also, each time you have a new experience and it turns out well, you'll get more confidence about you and your child's ability to handle life-threatening food allergies. If you are never open to new experiences, your child won't be prepared to life a more full life independently and you definitely don't want that.

Trying new experiences does require caution when you deal with a food allergy that can be life-threatening. You should never take unnecessary risks with food. However, if you are careful and make safe food provisions, you can open up your family's life and experiences. Food allergies just mean that you need to be careful, but you can still live your life.

Happy Groundhog Day, campers!