Itchy Ears

     So my Dad's birthday is in two days. He used to say Shirley Temple was older than he was. She was born the year before him. I guess making a reference to the cute tap-dancing curly haired child-actress as older than him helped Dad feel young? Talking/emailing with my brothers since Fathers Day, a few stories about Dad have come to the surface. And in my notes of ideas of things to write in my blog, I found a short tidbit to share for today.

     Dad was allergic to Brazil nuts.

     If there was a container of mixed nuts put out for snacks, Dad avoided the Brazil nuts.

     “Brazil nuts make my ears itch,” he'd say.

     Mom picked out them out of the bowl, “Your father's allergic to Brazil nuts,” she'd say.

me and Dad circa 1962

     There were no other allergies Dad had that I know of. Come to think of it, no one else in the family had allergies. And thankfully the reaction was not that severe. Itchy ears may be a momentary irritation, but anaphylactic shock is, yeah, life-threatening. If it were more than itchy ears, Dad would not have been able to eat any of the mixed nuts since they would have been in contact with the Brazils in the container and some of the allergen could have rubbed off on them! He was not allergic to any other nuts - they were all okay for him to eat. Dad liked the cashews best. Cashews are my favorite too, and the saltier the better!

     So this itchy ears and avoidance of them is of course no big deal. Just something that has stuck with me over the years. I myself do not have an allergy to Brazil nuts. But every time I spy a bowl of mixed nuts when we are out somewhere, the words “Brazil nuts make my ears itch,” pop into my head as a reflex response. I guess this is Dad's way to still be here with me – his way to keep me feeling young!

20200715 58 Itchy Ears