The other day I ran into a girl I know. We have been friendly in limited contacts, and we are Facebook friends, but to date we have never really hung out with each other. I was pleasantly surprised to see her. Right away she said, "Oh my Gosh! I just love your blog! I read every post!" I was flattered that she even read it, much less liked it enough to bring it up. "Oh, thanks for reading it!" I replied.
Then she said, "It really helps me keep things in perspective." I was puzzled, confused, really. Perspective on what?
Then it hit me. She thinks I have it bad. I realized that possibly she and maybe others see that the life shared by Rocco and me and my family is something for which they should feel badly. I guess dealing with diabetes does somewhat suck! It is a number chasing game every day, but I never once have seen us as, well, for lack of a better word, "victims".
The most ironic thing is, if you know me at all, I am the one who is eternally, even annoyingly sympathetic to the strife of others. My friends say I carry other people's problems on my shoulders. I feel badly for EVERYONE and for their struggles. I feel deeply sad if someone I know is going through a tough time. So, funny enough, I never once considered that people might actually feel badly for me or Rocco. Hmm.
So, if you have ever felt badly for us, I would like to say thank you for your genuine care and concern. I appreciate the love given. On the other hand, life is hard and crap happens. Don't worry for us. Rocco is the toughest kid I know. He will do just fine in life. I have faith. So, I am officially letting you off the hook and inviting you to have faith with me. I appreciate the love you have felt for us over the past year. Thanks for being a friend!
As for me, well, no worries here! God and my mom have blessed me with an incredible array of defense mechanisms. Although I have been plenty tested over the past ten years I always find reserves I never knew I had. So, thanks for reading. I do hope I can give everyone some perspective, but in a way that helps them to appreciate the inevitability of everyday highs and lows. If I can do that for a couple of people, then sharing our story is totally worth it! Thanks for your interest and support.
And thanks to my friend for giving me some perspective! It was a really helpful comment.
Onward!
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2 comments:
Thank you for sharing this. My son was recently diagnosed with T1D. Since his diagnosis, I've had people share with me their experiences. Then they question themselves. They say, "Why am I telling you this? It's nothing compared to what you've been through." I have to reassure them that I want to hear what they want to share with me. It feels weird, like I'm put in a different category. But, don't we all live, and respond to, the lives we have?
Christy, thank YOU for sharing. I keep trying to tell each of the boys what Oprah taught me- "Everyone has a story." Not one is better or worse,most of the time, than another, just different. I am sorry to hear about your son's diagnosis. If you ever want to speak offline, just email me at www.everydayhighsandlows1@gmail.com. I know how rough the first couple of months can be. I would be happy to talk.
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