I am So Tired of Seeing Those Photos…..

….and it’s ‘a tired’ I will gladly go without sleep any day of the week.  What a joy—an absolute joy seeing all of those incredible kids graduating from ………well everywhere….and attending proms…..well everywhere as well.

This time of year is just so incredibly positive.  The newness ahead; the rites of passage, I find them all so exciting.  My niece posted a picture of her daughter who just played her last concert in middle school.  The pride was abounding, as it should be.  Many cannot believe ‘where the time has gone’.  And I’m thinking, when did the little girl who caught the bridal bouquet at our wedding have the right to feel like time was passing by so quickly?   My nieces and nephews have kids…….seriously?????

So I will take the passing of time and me thinking “crap I am getting old fast” and trade that for all of the wonderful, wonderful pictures of proms, graduations and last concerts.  Milestones are great to witness.  The pictures snapped capturing smiles so large your face hurts.  The absolute joy is great to see.

Achievement is never about being number one.  It is achieving what you set out to do.  If you get high honors when doing it, great.  When TJ played lacrosse in high school, he stated that he felt bad because he was not a ‘starter’, and we would sit in the stands and sometimes he would see no playing time.  Sometimes he would play almost the entire game.  I told him, “You suit up, you have my attention.  Many are NOT on the team.  If I come and see you…and all I see is you practice and not play, I’m just as proud.  You are part of something; a team.”

We all want to see our kids achieve.  I learned a long time ago when Kaitlyn was just two and I knew that EVERYTHING she did moving forward would be ‘doing it with diabetes’ made me truly appreciate the journey.  If you choose to have a goal at being the best in something; I find that so exciting.  But know this; the “BEST” does not necessarily mean you have to surpass everyone else…….it only means that you gave it your all.

And if doing your all/best, gets you on the team, but not a starting position…….why would I not be excited that you made the team?  Achievement is a personal best.  People can always be better than us in ability, but no one can be better than you, doing your personal best to be what you want to be and can be.

So keep posting those pictures and keep getting ‘ol DiabetesDad tired looking at them all because I may get so tired that I have to go to sleep……but I sleep with the biggest grin you will ever see.

I am a diabetes dad.

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