Blog Week! Day 1: Admiring Our Differences

Today is day one of the second annual blog week and I am so excited to be a part of it once again! We are starting off with a great topic that has also given me a lot of pause...Admiring Our Differences--Learning from the perspectives of those unlike us.
When I began this journey I knew nothing.  Diabetes was a vague concept. I had no clue as to what was involved or how much it would become a part of my life.  I spent years learning from other parents, researching and coming to terms with what was to be a permanent house guest.

Over the years I relished stories from parents who had children older than my son. They gave me an idea of what life may be like.  They offered wisdom, guidance and warnings of what was to come.  My favorite stories came from parents who also lived with diabetes.  From them I have learned so much. They offer a unique perspective--they live my life and that of my son.  Their information and perspective remains invaluable. 

In recent years I ventured from my website into blogging.   I still love to read the blogs of adults who have Type 1 diabetes--To know how their parents made their lives easier, to see how they have adjusted, and to hear what is important to them today shows me what can be and how I need to behave now.  I enjoy reading from other parents, their struggles, their victories and their humour.

In my own work with people with diabetes, I have also been shown a different disease--Type 2 diabetes.  I have been asked to assist many people with Type 2 over the years and I have been able to see the many hurdles that they experience. I quickly learned that it was NOT a disease specific to the obese.  I have met hockey players, marathon runners, and people that would disappear if they turned sideways but still live with a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.  I have gained a huge respect for these people and find myself bristling just as much for them as for my son when people blame them for "getting diabetes".

The online world of diabetes is just as diverse as the real world.  Each person offers something unique.  There are many different ways to live with diabetes.  I personally cherish those who share their tears, their laughter, and their experience. They provide a glimpse into worlds that I have been lucky enough to avoid. They inspire me.  They amaze me.  They offer me hope for tomorrow.