Navigating dietary restrictions during family meals is always a delicate task.
for 1 coupleThanksgiving took an awkward turn when a dish that was supposed to be gluten-free turned out to be not so gluten-free, and my sister-in-law’s reaction left a bitter aftertaste.
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It’s no secret that my husband doesn’t eat wheat or gluten.
The brother asks if the restaurant has any food he can eat before suggesting that they go to a restaurant.
I bring what I can’t eat to home cooking.
He refuses food he can’t eat and blames it on gluten.
He doesn’t make it all about his personality, but he doesn’t get swayed by it when it comes to mind.
For Thanksgiving yesterday, we volunteered dressing (stuffing) and cornbread to be gluten free.
Thanksgiving teamwork at its best.
As we were discussing the meal beforehand, my sister-in-law asked if my husband could have the sweet potato casserole.
I asked if it was just sweet potatoes and marshmallows.
she said, buttering it up.
He said I needed to take a dairy pill first (also lactose intolerance) but other than that I should be fine and dairy wouldn’t make me sick like gluten would.
Once again, I reminded Syl of my intolerance.
The day before Thanksgiving, my son was really looking forward to sweet potatoes, so he asked me to see if they had any.
I texted and asked and she said yes, but also added walnuts.
No big deal.
Sweet potato for victory!
So my husband ended up getting a meal of sweet potatoes.
Something seemed wrong, so he asked if there was any flour.
Yes, there was.
And her tone seemed smug to both of us.
An already awkward meal became even more awkward and we quickly excused ourselves.
Now I’m wondering if it’s weird for me to refuse to eat there again.
She has taken on most of the responsibilities for my elderly mother.
She has Parkinson’s Alzheimer’s disease.
She began experiencing episodes of confusion and anger more frequently and for longer periods of time.
A sweet potato with a smug side, a hard pass.
There is a caretaker during the day, but the caretaker is responsible at night. This means getting up multiple times during the night to change diapers and to reassure and comfort them.
I know Syl is under a lot of stress.
And it’s possible we misunderstood her tone when she told us about flour.
So, is it WIBTA if I don’t eat there anymore?
It might not be ideal to turn down future invitations, but who can blame them for considering it?
This person on Reddit thinks we need to consider what the SIL is going through.
This person thinks it probably has more to do with their responsibilities than anything else.
This person is a food critic.
If you’re seeing hostility toward gluten-free sweet potatoes, it might be time to say “no.”
I still think there is room for negotiation.
If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught school administrators a lesson after having a sick child take a final exam.
