Kids from Connecticut Teach All of US!!!!!!

Kids teaching usOne of the most fascinating aspects of what I do is the people I meet.  People never cease to amaze me in how they act, what they say, and what they do.  So many choose to sit back and play the sidelines and many live by; “don’t do nothing”.  It’s these people who constantly humble me as I travel this journey.

It’s easy from the sidelines.  One can judge, comment, be loud, be quiet, and for the most part have little to do with the game itself.  In many cases the loudest are neither the majority nor the players…….they are spectators.  People IN the game are too focused on moving the diabetes dial in a substantial manner to live by their own-self-imposed-importance.  Diabetes is just too big for any of us to stay on the sideline and frankly, I have little patience for people who would rather shake the cage than get in and fight the beast.

 Recently I learned that the age of ‘the player’ matters little.  A player is just that, a player.
 I was in Connecticut this week.  Driving to this state, a state that taught this nation what ‘real’ pain is over the past few months, I kept thinking to myself, what would these kids have in mind?Conn 2013 14

I was traveling to a grammar school (just to be clear, it was not in the Sandy Hook School system) to be part of a diabetes educational presentation which would be followed-up with a fund-raising component.  This component just fascinated me to no end and the only thing that was more fascinating than this particular event, was the young people who presented it.

When diabetes becomes the new normal, your life becomes completely mixed up; turned upside down; and out-of-the-norm.  As the kids in the area told their stories (I will not mention their names nor the school district; welcome to the world we live in these days) in front of hundreds of elementary school-age children, they explained about diabetes and shared what it was like to live with diabetes.  The siblings of kids with diabetes also took part in this event and shared what it was like toconn 2013 sibling be a brother to someone who had diabetes.  How it changed their household.

The kids shared that they were limited by nothing.  As the showed their insulin pumps the informed the students that they could do what they wanted asconn 2013 15 long as they ‘balanced’ their lives with diabetes management. 

(PERSONAL SIDE NOTE: literally just minutes before I entered the building I was made aware of the death of Richard Rubin; as the kids spoke of the ‘balance’ needed in their lives; being keenly aware of Richard’s teachings on just that point, it truly was almost as if he had joined with us)

Conn 2013 kidsThe kids sitting down were riveted and enjoyed the presentation of their peers and how they explained their lives with diabetes.  And afterwards they explained the fund-raising component.  They could donate whatever their family wanted to give, the amount didn’t matter.  But the event surely did.  (I just loved this idea).  Each child, to understand a little better about how mixed-up one becomes when first diagnosed, was to wear clothes that were completely mixed up.Conn 2013 Kids back

The idea was that for the one day they would wear clothing all mixed up knowing that shortly thereafter they would come to school again with their clothes straightened out.  The presentation taught the kids that although a life of diabetes becomes mixed up at the start, a life in order can reign.  Just FABULOUS!
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Many parents and children volunteered to organize this event and we surely thank them, the teachers, and the administration of the participating school.

This idea was from kids, about kids, for kids, and to kids…………….but a whole bunch of us adults learned a ton.

I am a diabetes dad.

Please hop to my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’

Tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut—DO NOT GIVE the Gunman Attention…PLEASE!

I am so angry.

Right before the holidays; 27 dead and 18 are children in a shooting at Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. (Reports changing and ongoing)  Seems a 22 caliber rifle was used.  Grades K-4.
(Right before I published this story–CNN is reporting the number of those dead is not as high as the number originally reported—again this is ongoing and changing)

On and off duty police rushed to the scene as 9-1-1 calls came in.

One gunmen is dead and another, off-site, person arrested.(unconfirmed)  Reports changing every minute.

I sat to write an incredibly positive story today when the first reports came over.  I am so sick—this is insane.

It leaves me to write the following:  First and foremost how much our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to those impacted by this tragedy.

Second: TO THE MEDIA: DO NOT, PLEASE DO NOT give this madman the attention by splattering his picture all over the place.  His life/death is not worthy of the ink that will be used.  Anything other than just stating his name will lay the groundwork for someone else to ‘out-do’ this insane act.

Your children will have questions in this world of fast-paced media.  Let your children talk it out with you, and let them say what they need to; speak to YOUR school counselors if you need to—this impact will be further than this community impacted directly.

Our prayers go out to all involved.

I am a diabetesdad

 

 

Hurricane Sandy and Diabetes……..

Hurricane Sandy hit with a fury of which the likes have never been seen here on Long Island. 

Our neighbors in New Jersey, Staten Island, Queens, NYC, and parts of Connecticut were also hugely hit by this incredibly unforgiving storm.

The flow of water connected bay to ocean and literally cut Fire Island into further Islands that if the Army Corp of Engineers cannot fix, will have a life-long impact on Long Island’s mainland.  Friends and neighbors alike have been crushed by the force….so many of us are doing what we can to help.

In all of this, as far as those with diabetes, something was missing. 

As many people know, I have been very active in hurricane relief when it comes to getting diabetes supplies to some sort of boots-on-the-ground force helping others.  In many cases it is with members of LIONs International who literally are in every part of the world imaginable. 

In some cases we were able to get hundreds of people diabetes supplies to last them for some time until a recovery could be made. 

In the horrible aftermath with many deaths, the one call that did not come was the need for diabetes supplies.  Many people in the online community, great as they all are, reached out to me to ask; “What are the needs?”  But interestingly enough with the amount of hospitals in existence on Long Island and in the tri-state area; much medical needs were tended to and taken care of fairly quickly. 

SO many sources came back to me stating, as far as diabetes supplies, we are doing okay and no urgent needs have been requested. 

The place is a wreck and will take a long time to recover; at least the need for diabetes supplies was not on a crucial must need basis…….a bullet gladly dodged; this time. 

Thanks to all who inquired. 

I’m a diabetesdad.