What is normal?
According to the dictionary, the word normal is an adjective that means:
- conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.
- serving to establish a standard.
Also –
a. free from any infection or other form of disease or malformation, or from experimental therapy or manipulation.
b. of natural occurrence.
So, what is normal? This is a loaded question for gluten folks like us, don’t ya think? According to the definition stated above, I’m not normal. Are you?
Gluten intolerance & celiac disease are not natural states of being. Sadly, studies show it on the rise… Will celiac disease or gluten intolerance be considered “normal” some day?
In my life thus far, I’ve revisited what normal means over & over again, in different contexts & situations. (Gluten free living was never part of that “normal” contemplation until 2007.) Depending upon what season of life, the question has had different contexts & ultimately meaning to me.
Child – “I am normal. Aren’t you?”
Teen years – Normal is rhetorical only in relation to adults – but determined by peers & popular media
Young Adult – Normalcy Cluelessness….busy bucking the system in lots of ways…
Now, that I’m approaching being dragged into in middle *cough* age – I am fascinated with the definition and expression of, along with the belief structure within the paradigm of “normal”.
Here’s my definition of normal.
Normal is the state of being that is familiar and/or comfortable. It is determined by interpretation of circumstances, experiences, places, people, things, etc. within a person’s paradigm and influenced by their world view. The normal state is ever changing, adaptive to circumstances and experiences. Normal is empirically derived over time with life experience.
Have you experienced things that were once considered “normal” only then to become foreign or unthinkable? Before I knew gluten was my evil enemy, hot, fresh French bread, flaky croissants or amazing egg rolls at my favorite Chinese restaurant, were normal foods. Now, there is nothing to induce me to eat them. It’s not worth it!
Getting from the gluten filled “normal” life to post-gluten free “normal” life was not an overnight, “fairy godmother thing”. While eating gluten free IS an overnight change, feeling gluten free normal happens in a series of baby steps. For me, feeling awesome for the first time in I-don’t-know-when had a lot to do with my new gluten free “normal”. 
So, rejoice in the fact that you have a new normal.
You have survived and are thriving in your new normal, whether it feels normal yet or not.
You have a gluten free normal. Others may never “get it”. Who cares? You get it and that’s what matters.
It’s ok to feel sad. It’s ok to mourn your old normal. Just don’t let it keep you from embracing this new part of your journey, k?
If you are brand new to living gluten free, hang in there! I know how overwhelming it can be. Even if you don’t see how gluten free living will ever be “normal”, think about the first time you did something…learned a new skill, started a new job. Now, try to think back even further. Do you remember learning how to tie your shoes? Or what about learning to brush your teeth? I’ve brushed them for so long, that I don’t even think about it. I just do it. It’s a normal part of life. It’s not difficult or complicated. I brush my teeth and think about other things. That’s normal for those of us in the western world. For other cultures? Not so much. Our tooth-brushing “normal” does not change or take away from their “never-even-heard-of-a-toothbrush” normal & vice versa. Right?
Be patient with yourself. Allow yourself to grieve, be angry, whatever…Then, move forward & onward. You will adjust and life will be “normal” again, a new, gluten free normal. I promise.
Normal is what you make it.
I like my gluten free normal. Do you?
I’d love to hear about what your gluten free “normal” is. How did you get there? What was( or is) you biggest hurdle?
