Heritage

Heritage. It's a beautiful thought. Solange stands in the kitchen next to me. She prepares a nice fruit salad: grapes, berries, bananas. I cut some fruit for her sisters and myself: mango, apple, kiwi. Their cousin sleeps.
''There must be others, mum, in the family with allergies. Did you ever study the family tree for more details about food allergies mum?''
I reply that her grandmother is seriously allergic for wasps ....
'Yeah, but that's not food related mum'.
'True'.
In the book about Solange, one chapter will be dedicated to the aspect of heritage and familiarities in allergies through generations. As far as I can lay my hand on these kind of information sources. Most of the time the answers from in laws and parents are rather neglectful in any direction of illness and heritage. Are there any family secrets? Is there something to discover? It's interesting to notice that if you deal with health issues there is often some mystery. I like to demystify. Pointing out the positive side of every story related to any allergy and focusing on the simple golden rules.

Allergy curriculum

It's a relief to see that my allergy girl can have a very comfortable life while facing allergies. A life in balance with life threatening allergies. The fact we don't mention them to many is positive on her daily life. I believe that the golden rules we have and try to implement, as often as possible, are making her and our life easier. The last weeks since we have my cousin over we have talked more regularly about allergies. This is normal, because we need to figure out the menu we can offer throughout the time, 3 months, he will stay with our family. I feel I get tired of listing the allergies and the constraints. It's a déjà vu. It takes time and costs tons of energy to review the image of his allergy curriculum. We don't talk so much about Solange's allergies any more. We have learned to handle it. We go for: we eat what she can eat and I am what I eat. And yet I want to make his stay as nice as possible. Am I getting allergy tired? It's just that I need to re-energize myself. It's so convenient that we cook our food at home, eat no fast food and take Solange's diet for granted: her menu is ours'. And now what? We have the boy with some similar afflictions and so much different limitations in his food print, being the son of a daddy from Ivory Coast and a mum for The Netherlands I could try to study more about the food culture and heritage from his paternal homeland. Research could bring some clear answers for the facts why he can't eat so many Mediterranean vegetables and why he cannot support olive oil.

A for allergy and for anarchy.

Allergy or anarchy?
How strict do you want to be?
What is it that you dislike most about your allergies?
These thoughts are frequently on my mind. I do need Solange as a co-writer in the book about herself, I am now focusing towards all kinds of questions to get her into our project.
''When will you be available Solange?''
''Another project mom?
''No sweetie it's our project, about you, me, we as a family dealing with your allergies..............''.
''Yes I will help you, we'll do it.....''
There is just so much stuff every week. But I need to plan now on a regular basis together with my daughter, so we can make progress and get into a writing rhythm together. The point is that we want the stories going kind of parallel. Two diaries in one book. Her talent for organizing  is useful for both of us.
So let's get started.
Soon.

Solange: Chief in the kitchen

Melting pot. Today there are some friends of Nuria . Stuff for school, Palaeolithic time. Constructions of clay. The table is their domaine, human culture the context and the girls are the artists. A Sunday afternoon in Rabat, six nationalities under my roof. The architecture of their house under construction becomes a shared art work: ein Gesammtkunstwerk. Does their cultural background interfere with this project? Must be. I am curious to know what these kids think, whether individual family values are of any influence on the way they cope with each other. These kids are lucky, they learn from each other's family story and cultural life lines without being too conscious about this. An advantage of an international community. And then they all feel hungry. That's when Solange steps in. Chief in the kitchen. Hygienic rules: washing hands and preparing the table where the girls start cooking. It soon turns out to be a second team work project of this sunny Sunday. This is a case about learning through playing. I am impressed. Solange is chief and host and creates a joyful ambiance for sisters and friends in the kitchen. All are participating. Solange guides the process. When the plate with the French chocolate cake glides into the oven, the girls return to the art table in the living room to finish the roof for their house. Chocolate smells all of over the place and warm cake is served by my chief in the kitchen: Solange.