Greetings! When a little birdie tells me someone in our Diabetes Light Community is celebrating a Diabetes Anniversary, I like to honor that person with a special post on our Diabetes Light Facebook page. Today is one of these days for a special member of our community who has become a dear friend to me. I met Sama through Diabetes Light earlier this year on my 25 year Diabetes Anniversary! Things come back full circle sometimes, don’t they?
Editor’s note: Please know if you live with diabetes or parent a child with diabetes this poem may bring up difficult emotion for you. This past week, two young people with Type 1 diabetes perished. I was moved to write a poem after learning about their deaths that occurred just days apart from one other. My heart felt broken as I mourned for their lives lost. Putting these words onto paper was a way for me to express some of the grief I was feeling. Living with Type 1 diabetes, whether one knows the individual who passed away or not is irrelevant. When one is given an exit pass and leaves our shared community too soon, we all feel the ripples left in the pond.
Editor’s note: This poem was written in the last few months during a particularly rough patch of diabetes management that I was experiencing. Diabetes can become unruly and difficult to control when anything else in life comes up – stress, an infection, etc. As we celebrate November’s Diabetes Awareness Month, I chose this poem to share because I think it is important we look at the many ways living with a challenging condition like diabetes can make us feel and be honest about the emotions we sometimes experience. If you are a friend or family member, you can rest well knowing I do not struggle like this daily. And if you know someone that has diabetes, show your support by checking in with that person once in a while. Let them know you care. Thank you.
What others don’t see
You don’t see how much I struggle
How scared I really am
How much this condition affects me
And how I’m really looking for people to understand
Why is it so hard
This photo was taken last year on Halloween. We were just on our way out the door for a walk when I snapped this picture of Jonah in his little Halloween outfit. I was sure Jonah dressed up like this might make someone smile but I think he was just noticed by a guy driving by in his car who smiled at us as he rolled by.
Just call me little diabetes advocate…
Later last evening after I got some banana custard in the oven, (recipe post coming soon!) I started looking in the storage room through old boxes. I was looking for what I was sure was in there – childhood photos of me. I’ve had a few requests after writing my Random facts about me post to share a picture of my tanned preppy teenage self. That picture is to come another Wednesday!
I hope you are having a good week and maybe enjoying some of these last few nice days of Fall! I enjoyed a splendid four mile walk yesterday while taking in the warm 60 degree weather and sunny blue sky. I was content. I plan to do the same today and the weather is cooperating yet another day. Joy!
I am excited to share with you my first post for Wordless Wednesday! Due to my love of snapping photos of my everyday life and the beautiful view I was able to capture on our walk along the Mississippi River on Sunday, I thought this was a great Wednesday to start! Enjoy.