November 30, 2011
The long road on our families journey is just beginning for us – we have only had diabetes in our family for 7 months. Honestly now after seven short months I don’t even remember our lives before diabetes – I know it was easier and not that long ago, but it is hard to fathom it was ever different than this now.
When were diagnosed everyone kept saying you will start to feel normal again, a different normal but normal. They were right – we do feel normal – we are normal – a normal family with type 1 diabetes as a part of it, but it is a different normal than before – I think – again, I don’t remember it before.
Our lives drastically changed instantly – and I suppose that is why I don’t remember it - there is no reason to – it will never be that way again, so why fill my head with thoughts of the past. I don’t really remember life without kids either though – after one it is all a haze, after three it is really fuzzy so why would we care that we have to adjust our normal again – we don’t – we can’t – we have to move forward not wish for the past – but HOPE for a brighter future!
This is the hand that life has dealt our family and we are learning so much from it – it might not be the royal flush some get but we are definitely holding some aces! Because of diabetes in our family I have become a more outspoken outgoing person. I am less afraid to ask 1000 questions and less afraid to talk about my families medical issues and always willing to educate someone – even when they don’t ask! I have made some really great new friends and I re-evaluated my life and what was really important right now at this time. I made that really important step back from work to be closer to home and at home more often. These things have made me a better person and all because of my daughters diagnosis.
I don’t believe that is why God put this on us for ME to become a better person – I believe he gave our whole family this challenge because we could all become better people and we could all help make a difference in our lives and others. God knows that we will rise to this challenge and deal with the difficult days and blessed us with the resources necessary to get what we need. God gave this to us and to Allison because we were worthy of the challenge just like all the others with this disease in their lives – we have something to offer - that is why we were chosen to have this challenge.
Not everyone with it may realize it but they have a unique gift to give – and each gift is different – some are good at talking, some are good at writing, some are good at motivating, some are good at earning money and some are good at teaching – and probably a 1000 other things out there. Everyone with type 1 diabetes as part of their lives gets to show the world that life isn’t always perfect but it can still be fun and rewarding.
So to all those out there that share our world of diabetes I salute you. I salute all that you have done for us before we arrived – the challenges you faced, the fights you fought, the medicine you honed for us. I thank you for the books you have written, the blogs you have posted and the time you have taken to raise the money and make awareness of this disease come to the forefront. We may not be ecstatic that we have to deal with this day in and day out but we are so proud to be a part of a community that takes it all in stride and marches forward together hand in hand.
Thank you for taking us in and helping us on the path – please keep posted – I will keep blogging and reading and raising money and awareness and look forward to doing it alongside all the rest that are willing to take on our challenge!!
Until there is a cure,
Jennifer
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