We discovered shortly after our daughter turned four she was gluten intolerant.  Suddenly her little girl world of mac and cheese, pizza, birthday cake, and even sandwiches became problematic.  She is so tough — just like my mother — and she took it really well.  We just set about finding things she COULD eat and searching for good substitutes for her previous staples.  Luckily, this was around the time Trader Joe’s came to town.  It turns out they had lots of gluten free things that did not taste like cardboard.  Our family favorite is their waffles, which you see pictured here.  I just pop them in the toaster and she has a hot breakfast before rushing off to school.  I remember our little one’s pediatric gastroenterologist said she NEVER eats gluten.  What stuck with me was when I asked if she had an allergy, too.  “No,” she replied, “But I know what it does to you.”  The South Korean diplomat Ban Ki-moon said:

“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth … these are one and the same fight.  We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment.  Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.”

I could not agree more.  My child’s problem is not an isolated one.  As populations increase and we keep taxing our natural resources we must search for new ways to provide without impoverishing — whether that is physically or economically.  The earth is round and the actions each of us take all come around as well.  These are issues which need the world needs to address with more honorable, serious intent now — no waffling.