I have worked as a waitress for almost two or three years now and for the most part, have loved every second of it.
There's always a few things about the job that have always stuck out to me, or even little things that I have always remembered. I can distinctly name a handful of times where a party has come into my work, told me that someone in their group has severe food allergies, and to make sure whatever they plan on ordering is safe for them to eat.
I remember thinking, "why on earth would someone with food allergies like this decide to come out and eat?"
It all just seemed way too complicated for me to comprehend. It made way more sense, in my head, for them to just stay on the safe side and eat at home. I guess I was extremely naive and maybe even a little inconsiderate at the time because today, I am now the girl with the same, multiple food allergies.
I finally have somewhat of an idea of what people with food allergies have to go through on a normal basis. Something like going out to eat, or grabbing a quick snack at a convenient store while running to class, is typically something that I never thought twice about. At age 22 I discovered that I developed several food allergies, and unless I was eating a plain salad, there was just about nothing I was able to eat outside of the comfort of my home.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that it isn't the food that I miss, it is the feeling of being normal- which is truly the hardest part about having food allergies. Especially as a college student, there are so many times where I am constantly on the go and sometimes have to take chunks out of my day and designate them to going home and making myself a meal.
It's times like these where I look back and am ashamed of how I viewed those with food allergies who came into my work. One of the best feelings in the world, to me, is being able to walk into a restaurant and "treat" yourself to a salad. And I say "treat" because it truly feels like you're on top of the world because you can't remember the last time you were able enjoy a mean in a restaurant with friends or family.
To all of those with many or severe food allergies - I know your struggle all too well. And you're not alone. Even though we may not have the easiest circumstances, we have to remember to be thankful for everything else in life that we are blessed with.
