When Your Gluten-Free Soul Says No, But Your Bread-Loving Mom Says Yes

Look, if you told me a year ago that I'd be starting a bread business, I would have laughed. And then probably cried. And then maybe eaten a sad, dry, gluten-free cracker in protest.

But then my mom came to me with that look - you know, the one that moms get when they have an idea that you know, deep in your gut (which is already sensitive, thank you very much), you will 100% not be able to say no to.

Mom: "I think we should start a bakery."

Me: "But I'm gluten-sensitive."

Mom: "But we'd be so good at it!"

Me: "I literally cannot eat the thing you want me to dedicate my life to."

Mom: "It's called sacrifice."

And somehow, instead of doing the logical thing - like saying, "No, thank you, I enjoy living without body pain" - I said, "YES, LET'S DO IT", because apparently I like to suffer.

Fast forward to now, and I'm watching my mother on FaceTime, absolutely devouring a fresh, fluffy, golden-brown loaf of bread that she just pulled out of the oven. And friends, I won't lie to you. A single tear may have slipped down my cheek. Not because I was happy. Not because I was proud. But because I could not eat it.

Mom, with zero remorse, "Oh my gosh, this is the best bread I've ever had."

Me, clutching my sad little handful of nuts and crackers like it's all that stands betwen me and despair, "I'm so happy for you."

But here's the deal; if I'm going to be in the bread biz, my one demand is that there will always be gluten-free options. My mom agrees enthusiastically - right before taking another dramatic bite of her gluten-filled happiness.

So if you ever find yourself making a career choice that directly contradicts your dietary restrictions, just remember, love is sometimes watching your mother eat carbs over FaceTime while you snack on a rice cake, crying a little inside.

And that, my friends, is how we began the gluten-free sourdough adventure!

"If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask"

The Bread of Requirement

Christina

Partner-in-crime(s)