Liking or loving a person sometimes can be a challenge in itself.  They have their quirks, you have yours, and yet you found a way to make it work.  There are everyday challenges that can test those boundaries of friendship, or love, such as a word said in haste because feelings were hurt.  Or maybe they didn’t do a simple task, and now you have to do it all.  Maybe they ignored you one too many times, or you simply don’t feel appreciated no matter if you love the person or you’re just liking them.

So, one day your person gets diagnosed with an allergy or even multiple allergies.  Do you think that you can still like or love that person?  The automatic response, of course, would be a resounding yes!  No one would want to be declared so shallow that they couldn’t deal with their best friend’s (or loved one’s) disease.   But there are people who can’t deal with it.  Even if they have years invested in that person, they walk away, or they take the allergy diagnoses with a grain of salt and keep trying to feed the person the very food that has been making them sick.

Those everyday challenges in friendship and love just got harder.   They will test you and your person in a lot of ways that very few have even considered.   Just think if you were diagnosed with one or even multiple allergies.  How would you want to be treated? Sometimes you feel like asking the person that, it could make things worse, or it isn’t the time for that discussion just yet.

So, this story will cover the adventures of Sam and Charlie.  Charlie was diagnosed with multiple allergies long after having meeting Sam.  Will Sam handle the new restrictions, or will he walk away all together?

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To begin the tale, do you really have to start at the beginning?  To give this story some character, a little heart and hopefully a whole lot of soul, we will.

Wouldn’t it be grand to say that Sam and Charlie met in Disney World the land of enchantment where all the wishes and dreams are possible?  Perhaps they were in a crowded dance floor and they bumped into each other and then never let each other go from there after so many years apart?  It was really nothing all that romantic at all!

They were standing at the counter checking into the barracks.  Barracks, you say?  Yes,  both were members of the Navy Reserves at the time.  Charlie, introduced herself to Sam by simply saying, Hi Sam!  Of course that sort of caught him off guard.  ( Sam, sorta forgot that his uniform had his first name on it.)  He looks at her quizzically and asks her, “How did you know my name?”.  Charlie replied, “It’s on your uniform silly!”  Of course there was no end to the fun that his crew gave him after that with him while he was standing there for overlooking something so simple.

Their paths crossed again that night under dimmer lights at the bar on base.   Sam was hanging out with his crew at the club and they invited me over, can you guess it was to help them tease him more about forgetting his name, yup.    The place was great, but ever so quiet so we decided to try someplace new.  So we all piled into my car, only one with a car, and tried to find someplace new.

So now I am going to jump a couple of years, to when Sam and Charlie found each other again and agreed to meet on neutral soil.  Each of us away from work, for him it wasn’t that hard for he was retired by now, and for her she had to ask for vacation time.  They decided to meet in South Carolina, in Myrtle Beach.

Charlie explained over the phone about the allergies and that it wasn’t just one there were several,  Sam said that there was no problem in working with them.  Charlie hoped that that was the case for she ran into some folks already that had issues with her allergies.   Like most, they jumped to the conclusion that it was ‘strange’ food.  Worse, that the food was going to taste like cardboard.  When in reality it was real food just done differently than what people are used too.

So back to when they meet up in Myrtle Beach, and their first meal.

Oh crap, am I really doing this?? Will he still like me?  I mean, I am not the skinny gal he was crazy over when we first encountered each other.  Than to top it off… the allergies!

Arriving in Myrtle Beach late at night there is that advantage when you first see one again after many years.  It’s night!  Charlie didn’t have to worry to long for Sam came up kissed her quickly on the lips before taking her inside.

Oh me, oh my, he has that silver on top and he is still very sexy.  I hope this works out. She was going to take her coat off but…

Sam, I am getting the spice box from the car! The rest could wait till morning or she could leave quickly if it didn’t work out.

Charlie, I can help you bring it all in if you like?

Sure!

He brings in everything that she packed and he moves her luggage into the same bedroom where he is sleeping.

Charlie thinks, “Okay that answered that question!”

Okay, maybe he really will be okay with the allergies.  I did give him a few tips before we decided on this trip.

Charlie, did you have something to eat?