Anyone who’s ever had a nut or food allergy can sure relate to “Karen” Wilmington’s piece, “Aww Nuts.” Karen tells the story of her first encounter with nuts, or the discovery of her nut allergy. She recalls eating peanut butter ice cream at a birthday party, and then ending up in a hospital bed and receiving the news about her allergy. The captivating memory was enough to trigger my first experiences with my allergies, and relate to Karen’s story.
    Having my own nut allergy for eleven years, being around people with similar allergies was like a support group in some way; we were all stuck in the same situation and understood each other. I remember hearing “Oh my god, you’ve never had Nutella?!” or “Reeses are sooooo good,” and to this day, I still do. I always felt like a castaway. But meeting others with the same allergies, I felt more comfortable with myself and around others. Karen writes, “Even though this experience was traumatizing, having a nut allergy is something that makes me, me.” I really loved that last sentence, to see how open and accepting she was to herself and her flaws. I admire that and am learning to do the same, whether I am Nutella free or not.