Eat, Play, Love

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for this article written by me: the Utah-residing nerdling daughter who hopped onto the Enterprise on its way to Meema’s house in Blackfoot, Idaho. I have been asked by the mothership to write a guest article for this blog about any topic I wanted. As a mature and responsible adult/college student/married woman who takes duties like this seriously, I decided the topic of this article would be…food.

You see, because of some recent health issues, I had to begin following new dietary restrictions starting the day before joining the rest of the family for the weekend. While these restrictions should be over within a few weeks, I have not been able to have any chocolate, soda, ice cream, and most wheat and dairy products. This is not the kind of diet one would prefer for a weekend with family at Meema’s house.

What is often easy to forget is that meals are social in nature. Several times, family members have enthusiastically suggested meal or restaurant options before catching my eye, remembering my current limitations, dropping the smile from their face, and uttering a quick “Nevermind.” I have also been offered pieces of candy, carbonated beverages, and even sandwiches that I have most definitely wanted, but have had to politely refuse.

No rudeness was intended on anyone’s part, and everyone has been very supportive, but when I was made aware of my new diet, I thought I would have to make a few slight adjustments at mealtimes and would have to skip out on dessert. I absolutely did not expect my very ability to socialize to be affected so strongly. What I can eat directly affects my social interactions, because food and socialization are so closely related.

Many times, I focus my vacation time on my temporary ability to eat, drink, and be merry to my heart’s content, and freeloading on my family’s Coca-Cola, Cheez-Its, and ice cream. However, with that option having been removed, I have been able to focus more fully on spending time interacting with my family, and less on helping myself to an extra couple of pounds on the hips. So no, I cannot make s’mores at the campfire, or have any of Meema’s homemade pizza, but until I get off my diet in a few weeks, I can enjoy the opportunity I now have to focus on making memories with my family.

This article is dedicated to my Dungeon Master in Well-Worn Armor, who has stowed way a pile of chocolates that he won so that I could eat them when my restrictions are over.