“I don't want to be known as just an allergy kid.”

Severe food allergies; it's crazy to think about, one snack, one bite, and I'm in an emergency room. It makes one feel weak and anxious over something as little as a sesame seed. But it's my life, and it's so many people’s reality. I could write a sad essay about not eating a peanut, or an egg or seeds, etc. but that's not me. I don't want to be known as just an allergy kid. In fact, most of my friends often forget I have so many and often offer me snacks, and apologize after I remind them. But they shouldn't feel bad; it shows me that my allergies aren’t the only thing people see in me. Food allergies do play a large role in my life, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing— a challenge, yes, but not always a burden.

In elementary school, we used to sit by grade in the cafeteria, except for me. I had a table all to myself in the corner of the room where only certain people could sit. My best friend was a grade below me and would sit at that table with me every single day. She still is my best friend to this day. Over time other kids saw us having fun and laughing, so, little by little, my 1st grade class started bringing lunches to school that were safe for me so that they could join the allergy free table. My little lunch table went from a table for one to a table where everyone wanted to be, and to this day, 11 years later, people still bring up my old lunch table. Whether it was that I wouldn't let them sit there with a PB and J, or how they remember telling their mom to pack a safe lunch. I turned my boring lunch time into the best part of the day.

Over time, severe food allergies have taught me a great deal—, like how to stand up for myself and trust my instincts. I try to be a kind and loving friend and I always have people around me. Being an allergy kid played a big part in who I am and, in many ways, helped me learn about myself, positive and negative. I have now outgrown my lunch table in the corner, but the responsibility, compassion, and positivity I learned at that table will always remain, and in some ways I am grateful for my allergies and learning to live life fully even when challenged.

- Josefina