"I got this Mom".......

This morning I am up getting ready to embark on a ride. A 10 mile bike ride. It isn’t the longest ride I could do, some people are doing 55 or 100 miles. I am doing 10 miles because my daughter Allison will be right by my side on this journey.

This isn’t just a bike ride to us. This isn’t just another fundraiser to us. This is our life now. This is our purpose – OUR families journey in life. To keep going , to keep moving, to prove to diabetes that it doesn’t have us – we have it. This is our opportunity to show the world and stand up and say – we have this disease, we hate this disease and we want it to go AWAY!

This day has been long in coming – way back in September of last year we were asked to be a part of this ride, Allison was asked to be the Youth Ambassador. She was so excited – unknowing of what that meant she jumped at the chance. Since then we have had the privilege of sharing our story and our lives with many people and it has made my daughter a much stronger and more independent person (and she was already pretty independent to begin with!)

Last night she gave a speech to the VIP Party for the ride – she wrote the speech and prepared herself – with no help from us. As we were preparing for the time for the speakers to begin she asked to re-read her speech and she made a slight edit (decided she didn’t like a couple of words.) Then I asked her who she wanted to go up with her when she gave the speech – she looked at me and said “No one – I got this mom.”

“I got this Mom.” Yes she does. She has it – she has strength, courage, spirit and the heart the size of the world – she AMAZED me last night. My 7 year old beautiful daughter is able to do what most adults could not do – she laid out her life to strangers and friends and family – loudly and proudly. She didn’t hesitate, she didn’t stutter, she just spoke HER words to world.

Our journey as a family may have begun a year ago – but last night I saw my daughter’s personal journey with her new life begin – she grew last night as she stood up there and utter the words – “I do not like anything about diabetes” –“ but it has not stopped me from ballet, basketball, soccer, baseball or just being a kid.” She meant it – she still moves on, she still moves forward, she makes a statement every day she doesn’t give in to this disease that infest her body.

She began her independent journey last night – she let go of my hand and went forward – my hand will always be there for her (and she knows that) but I have NEVER been more proud of anything or anyone in my entire life – “I got this Mom” hard words to hear but at the same time every parents dream for their kid to be that amazing!

She ended her speech with “Now let’s RIDE” – so in the words of Allison I shall stop writing and put my hair back, my helmet on and RIDE right along with her – hand outstretched when she needs it – knowing the whole time that she has got this!

Until there is a cure,

Jennifer Holdgreve