I have been listening and reading, for the better part of two days, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy—1 year later. Amazing to read how much people think is done, how much is not done, and how people are kept waiting………still.
Truth be known, it makes no sense whatsoever. My heart goes out to those who lived through this storm, had damage, and still feel the impact of a hurricane hitting mainland an entire year ago.
It is just so unfair.
It was interesting to follow these stories an entire year later as my email ‘toned’ yesterday notifying me that someone had reached out to me. I opened the email and it was news of a parent with a newly diagnosed child with diabetes.
As I spoke to the mom who was overwhelmed with……well everything…..I informed her that she will be surprised a year from now when she looks back and sees how far she has come. She doesn’t see it yet, but for those of us who have lived through that hurricane of being newly diagnosed; have you looked back lately? Do you realize how far you have come?
Now there are friends of ours who lost almost everything in last year’s storm and it is not over yet. But they would easily tell you that their families have become an expert in navigating the nonsense of red-tape. They would easily tell you that their families have learned how to cope. They would easily tell you that their anger and frustration, although still present, is pushed aside daily in overcoming another hurdle for the day. The process is slow, painful, but a necessary evil.
Sound familiar?
After any storm or crisis, at some point we have to take a deep breath and try to continue on. It is not easy. In some case the hurt is never ‘okay’ and the acceptance is replaced with coping. Coping to move forward.
In any terms of dealing with a crisis, it seems to me that it may serve us very well to take a look back over the last year, or the last few years, to see how far we have come in overcoming hurdles in our lives.
When Kaitlyn was diagnosed, Jill quit her job. We were a normal couple with two children living on Long Island where two incomes is almost a ‘must’ for any family. The bills mounted quickly. The fears and thoughts of how we would get by also mounted quickly. Day one became day two and so on and so on and eventually a ‘groove’ was formed.
Looking back that first year, and now over 21 years later; and with a second child diagnosed, I am completely amazed how far we have come. Still, our house is not back to normal yet and I know it never will be until diabetes is cured. As many people know, it is our FIRM BELIEF that day will come, now more than ever before since we have been involved in this battle.
But people do not have to believe as we do.
I also know that I have no idea what it is like to have to manage this ‘storm’ every waking minute and it’s easy for me ‘to say’ that it MUST BE managed. But it must; because we, who are caretakers, love you too much for you not to take care of it. It is THAT love that we hope you see during the darkest times of this storm called diabetes.
We have all grown as we got through this storm and we are constantly rebuilding daily…….take a look back and realize that what you have done is monumental…..as the building continues.
I am a diabetes dad.
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