You’re (over) Due

I have had two people recently tell me that I am over due for a blog post. I was shocked, and secretly stoked. Someone actually wanted to read more gluten-free musings from me, that was a thoroughly exciting “yeah me” moment.

I thought about what was getting in the way of my weekly post. There is a high school senior in my house who is pulling her hair out over college applications and providing me ample “I told you so” moments since I had been suggesting since July to write this essay. I’ve bit my tongue so many times, because only a jerk tells a stressed out 17 year old “I told you so,” that I’ve “rendered myself practically mute.”(Those are Obama’s words to describe Rahm Emmanuel’s middle finger injury.)

I have the high school freshman who is a whirl wind of disorganization. Every morning there is a flurry of panicked action requiring her to run around the house and shove things into bags. As the resident smarty pants in the house, I can’t help but wonder out loud why the fact that she has to bring in her homework or pack a bag for soccer is such a daily surprise for her. So far we have had some calamitous things left behind, like yesterday when she left two sets of cleats behind but packed up the uniform for a game, but the ball always seems to bounce her way. The game was canceled and she grabbed her sneakers from her gym locker and practiced in those.

Then there is the celiac. He went off to middle school, no problem there. I have just decided that even though he is a very talented football player, I have no stomach to watch him play. After watching two bigger guys sandwich him and “ring his bell,” I prefer to watch the game film later. I missed a long run, a touchdown catch and a game saving tackle by sitting home last week…but I think I prefer watching other people’s children play football to my own.

My baby is busy doing 4th grade stuff. This weekend is my last Circus Arts performance. I am celebrating all those “last time” milestones. I relish attending his soccer games because he is just so good, all of that time spent trying to keep up with the older kids channels beautifully into aggressive, strong play “on the pitch.” Starting today, he will go to school two days a week an hour early for extra-curricular activities…newly “found” time for me.

What I’m not thinking about, at all, is gluten. I don’t even have to go to two grocery stores anymore because every store in my area has gluten-free foods. My pizzeria has gluten-free pizza. I have bread mix but I also have a couple of good loaves of readymade bread in the freezer. I have cookies in a box, frozen dough in the freezer and mixes in my pantry. I have a cupboard with a variety of rice (including purple rice) and different types of corn or brown rice pasta. In that sense, I can’t believe how easy a gluten-free diet has become.

One less worry and one less errand is a good thing because life is hectic, but it’s also good. Thanks for reading!

Kendall Egan