I am fairly sure that all of us, as parents, are well aware that we will become pretty stupid at around age 13 of our child’s life; and will stay that way until 20-ish-something. It’s a rule we all understand and accept……we were no different.
At some point they begin to realize that we are not as stupid as they thought and this world is much tougher than we let on. They begin to understand that we are human. We love, we hurt, we want affection, we bleed, and we also will not be here forever.
The longer diabetes is in your household, the longer ‘all-of-that-diabetes-police-stuff’ is also. I have never been a small guy…..as I look back I know that my daughter with diabetes doesn’t remember me laying across her body to stop her from fraying all about as her mom tried to get insulin in her; they do not remember the sleepless nights; the running down to the kitchen and back again (repeated as needed); the allowing them to be angry at us;…….well you know the drill. It’s good that they do not remember many of these things……isn’t it?
But we also were a royal pain in the butt as well, weren’t we? At every turn we were there to remind them, harass them, give them what they need as they went along all the pathways of life.
We were there. It’s what we are supposed to do.
I just wonder if there will come a time that they will completely understand what made us do what we did to them and for them? It is the same as what we did to, and for, our kids without diabetes I guess. We did what we did because we love them. And when you start with that, and end with that……..I guess it’s a good foundation to have. In either case, diabetes or not, someone forgot to deliver THAT ‘how-to’ manual to our doorstep. Did you get one?
We do the best we can with what we have when we have it……………….with a lot of love…………………..with a lot of hope……………………with a lot of prayer.
I am a diabetes dad.
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