Walking the Celiac path is always better with company.

I didn’t expect my heart to react the way it did when I finally had the chance to share my celiac story one-on-one with someone with the same background as me. I talk about this all the time — and anyone who knows me will agree! I advocate whenever I can. I know the script: the symptoms, the diagnosis, the life changes. It should have been easy.

The moment I started speaking to a newly diagnosed Filipino celiac, the kinship just flowed. Suddenly, I found myself wanting to share everything while somehow feeling like I still wasn’t saying enough. I didn’t realise that telling my story out loud would make me revisit parts of myself I thought I’d already healed. Living with celiac disease is one thing… but living with it as a Filipino is an entirely different emotional obstacle course.

There are days when everything will feel overwhelming — the grieving of old comforts will come in waves. The struggle is real, navigating life itself will be mentally exhausting. The mix of confusion, sadness, and the pressure of navigating food in our culture can feel like too much. There will be people you will encounter daily, who do not understand - even if they say they do, with their heart in the right place.

So I want you to know this: you don’t have to do this alone.

I want to be the person I wish I had in the beginning — someone who really sees you, who gets the frustration, who understands the emotional weight of every “No, thank you” when what you really want to say is “Yes, please.” If my story reaches even one person who needs to hear, “Hey, I’ve been there too,” then every emotion stirred in me is worth it.

Healing isn’t always about moving forward. Sometimes it’s about turning around, reaching back, and holding someone’s hand so they have company when walking the path you once had to navigate alone.

~Marge