Breakfast, with a side of HOPE

This year we had the amazing opportunity to serve as the Ambassador Family for the 2010 Walk to Cure Diabetes. What does an Ambassador Family do??? Well, for our chapter, this means you speak at different events to tell your story and hopefully inspire the community and fellow d-families to join us in our efforts to raise money for the research needed to fund a cure for type 1 diabetes.


We spoke at four different events this year...to say that we were nervous at first would be an understatement if ever there was! The first time we stood in front of a group of strangers and spoke about our journey with type 1 diabetes and the impact it had on our family was incredibly difficult. I'm not gonna lie...I was a blubbering mess, you couldn't stop the tears from flowing if you paid me! Although the tears were flowing freely...I was able to speak with as much passion as there was pain.


It was a hugely successful moment for us and I have a post planned to tell you much more about that eventful day and the passion and drive that it later fueled in me.


We later had an opportunity to speak at a breakfast that was geared just towards our local business community and corporate sponsors. This was hands down one of the most rewarding experiences ever! I cannot fully express to you the emotions of that day, I can say that it felt like I had angels lifting me up and giving me the strength to deliver our story with as much heart, passion and courage as I have ever had.


It was bizarre, when my family took to the podium at this corporate breakfast I had NO FEAR...not an ounce of nervousness or hesitation. It felt as if a warm blanket of strength and courage had been wrapped around my shoulders as I walked towards the microphone. There we stood in front of 100 plus members of our local business community and we were able to tell them our story, yes...I cried at this event too. What can I say, I get all emotional when I revisit the days that my precious daughters were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and the many days since that have been filled with needles, finger pokes, 3 am blood sugar checks, low blood sugars and high blood sugars. Despite my tears, I was able to tell them what life with d is truly like. The good, the bad and the downright scary.


The most rewarding part of that day was after the event was over, suddenly we were surrounded by strangers who wanted to hug us, thank us and tell us how moved they were by our story. We met one woman who has had type 1 diabetes for decades now, she came up to me, wrapped her arms around me and gave me the best gift ever. She wanted to thank us for sharing our journey with them, she knew that our story would inspire some of these businesses to join JDRF and us in our efforts to find a cure, and as someone who has lived with the disease for so long she said she just felt such gratitude towards us for being able to share something that is so painful. Her tears and emotions were so real and so raw, it was an indescribable moment.


We met a few other adults who had t1, they all thanked us and truly gave us a gift...it was a gift of gratitude. It warmed this d-mama's heart to know that our story may somehow inspire others to give to and support such a worthy and important cause. Any fear, any hesitation, any doubt I had about telling our families story to 100's of strangers evaporated that day. I knew that morning, we had done something and been a part of something that was so much bigger then us...when we got into our car together after the event was over my husband and I looked at each other and just smiled.


I'm not sharing this story with you to toot my own horn :) I guess my biggest reason for sharing this is that I believe that we all have a story, it's one that can inspire hope, change and progress. I may not get that cure that I dream of as soon as I would like, but I do know that amazing things are happening in the field of diabetes research and technology and if our story (or yours) can help by inspiring others to work with us towards a cure and help speed things up...hey, I'm all for it! Sometimes it's scary to open up and share like that, but sometimes...it can be life changing and the rewards that your heart receive are incredible.

SHOUT OUT TO MY D-PEEPS

So this is a much overdue post, I guess you could say I took a long vacation from blogging...I needed to recharge my batteries and start gearing up for the school year. I spent a lot of time with my kids, hanging out, playing, coloring and just soaking up their joy and love! Miss E has started kindergarten and I felt like I was counting down the days until she left me...I was a wreck!!!


We also had lots of family visiting us and we even took a road trip, there were JDRF functions and many play dates and sleepovers!


Summer was fun and full of action...


But something was missing...what was missing you may ask??? Well YOU of course!!! I have spent the last couple of hours catching up on some of my fellow D-peeps blogs and I just realized how much I have missed you all!!! So this is my quick shout out to all my fellow D-bloggers out there, reading your posts has reminded me of how lucky I am to have such an amazing group of friends out there who are living this life with D right along with me and can understand the struggles that we face...you inspire, amaze, and delight me...you make me laugh, you make me cry and you remind me that I am not alone in this.


Thank you for sharing your stories and inspiring me...I want to share with you this quote...

You have within you

the STRENGTH,

the PATIENCE,

and the PASSION

to reach for the stars

and change the WORLD!

-Harriet Tubman

I believe that every time we share a story, a moment, a fear or a triumph...we can change someones life and have an impact. Even if you don't think you are making a difference, you are...

A Brand New Look!

"Do not be afraid of change, be afraid of not changing"

In my last post "What's in A Name?", I talked about that saying, I'm not sure many of you had a chance to read it because I published it just before blogger had some major technical issues and service was unavailable for quite some time. In that post I talked about how I am trying to use this as my new mantra and never allowing fear to direct my decisions...unless of course the fear is justified and whatever action I am contemplating could cause harm.

I want to push through my fears and do the things that make me happy...trying new things, overcoming obstacles, tackling projects I may have pushed to the side or pursuing things that would push me outside of my comfort zone.

So...when I saw the new templates that blogger just put out I thought, how fitting...I am trying new things in life, how about a new look to my blog!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

What's In A Name?

card I received from my sister-in-law

Hope and Beginnings...I had a hard time trying to pick out a name for this blog, although I will probably talk about diabetes a lot, I know that I will be sharing things with you that have nothing to do with type 1 diabetes. Although, since my girls were diagnosed I believe that my direction in life and my passions have been changed to some degree because of it.

I still have all of the same values in life, but the things that I have always wanted to do, well...I don't think I would have done half of them if it weren't for T1. I know to some of you this may sound slightly ridiculous, so please bear with me.

About 15 years ago I sat down with my best friend and we each wrote a list...50 Things I Want To Do Before I Die...we were young, silly teenagers with big dreams!

Now, here I am fifteen years later and I have only done 5 things off of that list! I realize that many of us have written these kinds of lists and life, love and the everyday stuff just kind of takes over and at times gets in the way of our dreams...it's not that it is a bad life, it's just a different one then the one I had written down so long ago. I definitely never envisioned that I would have type 1 diabetes be a part of that life, now that it is, I really needed to sit down and think about what I want out of this new life...this life that includes syringes, test strips, insulin, low blood sugars and high blood sugars and everything in between.

I am learning a lesson about life these days, one that I would have rather learned on my own without my daughters having to be diagnosed with diabetes, but regardless...I am learning a lesson. For me the lesson is this...life is short, we never know what obstacles we will face and there has never been a better time then the present to just live it to the fullest!!!

So back to my list I wrote 15 years ago, I have since lost it and I am really trying hard to find it again because I would love to share with you what was on it...I think we all would have a good laugh, I know a large portion of it was all of the concerts I wanted to go to...something on many teenage minds I am sure! Another thing that I remember was I wanted to go skydiving...not anymore!!! It's funny how our interests and passions can change over time, I am now working on a new list and it is one that is very different then the one I wrote so long ago. My new list also has a new name...

"My Life List"

I spent many years only taking care of my family and putting my needs on the back burner, taking care of my kids is always my number one priority but I realize that my needs and my dreams are just as important and will probably make me a better mother, wife, friend etc. if I am doing the things that fill me up and spark creativity, joy and fulfillment in my life. When I realized that my daughters were going to have to live with diabetes for the rest of their life, I decided that I needed to be a better role model for them as to how they live that life. I wanted to be the person that shows my girls that no matter what life gives us, we can enjoy it and live it with great joy and fulfillment. I know that they will face a lot more obstacles then I could ever imagine and I don't want my girls to wait too long to do what makes them happy and I don't want them to ever feel like diabetes is going to get in the way of living it up to the fullest. I want them to live, love and do the things in life that give them great joy...and so do I.

So...HOPE...

• I am hopeful that a cure for diabetes will be found.
• I am hopeful that my blog will have a positive impact on other families faced with a type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
• I am hopeful that my blog will have a positive impact on ANYONE who stops by and takes the time to read .
• I am hopeful that my girls will live a long, healthy, happy life filled with all of their dreams realized.
• I am hopeful that in some way I may inspire others to do their part in making our world a better place, whether that is by encouraging people to volunteer, share their story or make a difference in any way.
• I am hopeful that this blog will inspire me
• I am hopeful...

And...BEGINNINGS...

• Beginning to live a fuller life.
• Beginning to try new things...what's the worst that could happen...I fail (SO WHAT)! I try something else.
• Beginning to connect with other families who are living with type 1 diabetes.
• Beginning to face my fears, it's kind of my new mantra...

"Do not be afraid of change, be afraid of not changing."

My sister-in-law sent me a card with that saying on the front if it, this was over three years ago and I still have it on my fridge, it inspires me daily. After T1 entered our lives it had an even greater impact on me and on how I lived my life.

• Beginning to live in the moment...don't let those beautiful little moments go by unrecognized.
• Beginning to open myself up to the possibility...of what I'm not sure...just waiting to find out.

So that is what's in a name, I'm sure that it will continue to grow with me, but for now I think that kind of sums it up.

Hope and Beginnings...I hope you will join me for the journey!