Perspective is a beautiful thing

Ya know what? I had a shitty day. It started out with skipping breakfast to stand in solidarity with my kid as she skipped breakfast because it was bloodwork day. She had to fast....so I fasted. The day progressed with a bunch of small annoyances...the little elderly woman at McDonald's got my coffee order wrong...but I decided to drink it anyway...because it was her first day...she was training...and she was the sweetest woman on the planet with a smile that could win over anyone.....so I drank it...and smiled...and wished her a good first day. I came home to find my cat puked on the carpet...right in front of the basement door...good times. Then Emma had a low blood sugar just after lunch. it wasnt one of those easy peasy give her 15 carbs and it does the trick kind of lows....it was a stubborn one. so, there I sat at a desk in her classroom...listening to the teacher talk about the branches of the government in his best Queen Elizabeth accent. Ok, that part was funny actually! Then the batteries in Emma's blood sugar meter ran out, so I hopped in the car and went to the store to get more. As I got back in my car to finally go home....I turned the key to start it up...and....nothing happened...my battery was dead. Clearly it's not a good day to be a battery in my house. So, I pulled out my cell to call the dealership which just so happened to be down the street from where I was and get them to come give me a boost. Keep in mind, we just bought this car less than a month ago...and this was the third time I have had to bring it in to the dealership. The first time was a stupid technicians error (he took a power washer to the engine on the day we bought it and wound up getting water in two of the cylinders which caused it to sputter and lurch). The second time was to get the CD player replaced because every time I put a cd in...it gave me an "error 5" message. Yes, my brain went directly to the error messages on blood sugar meters LOL! The third time...was today...a dead battery that actually needed to be replaced.

All of these things put me in a bad mood. I tried all day long to get rid of the dark cloud hanging over my head. It seemed like everytime I started to see the sun peak through again...something else would happen to send me back to square one.

And then I got an email from a good friend...telling me about her coworker. His son was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He's 9 years old...just like Emma. My dark cloud vanished in an instant. My heart broke for this family. Thoughts of Emma's diagnosis day flew through my head. I felt the tears stinging my eyes as I remembered how it felt...how it feels...how it's still just below the surface.

I emailed this man...who had just spent his very first day as a D-Dad. I tried to find the right words to comfort them...to make them see and believe that it would be ok. I have found myself in similar situations many times over the years. I always want to run to them and hug them tight and make it all better....but I can't. I can't make it better. It's something that can't be explained in words. This family is now a part of our club. They will struggle...they will fail...they will cry and scream and yell and hate this disease.

But they will also smile. They will laugh harder than they did before. They will have hope. They will have a chance that most people never get....they will get to see just how strong their spirits are. The will live it. They will come to a point where they will accept it. It will be their new life now too.

So, I offer myself....my ears to listen, my voice to share my experiences and my support, my arms to lift them up when they need it, my hands to hold when they feel alone or lost, and my smile to make them see that it will be ok...that I believe in them...that I know they can do it.

So, yes....my day wasnt as bad as I thought it was. Perspective is a beautiful thing.