I Think We Should have a Hippo named “Hypo”…..Don’t You?

HippoDoes anyone else think of a Hippo when they see the word, or experience a, “Hypo”.  I think there should be a Hippo named Hypo.  We feel the weight of the world on our shoulders when we are faced with a “Hypo” so the weight on our shoulders is about the same of carrying a ‘Hippo’ around isn’t it?

The stress we feel can be overwhelming at times when it comes to our kids with diabetes, of that we can all agree.  We, as parents, are not only deeply involved with our children and all that needs to be done in the day-to-day management of the disease, but we are also propped upon a perch observing what our children do every day interacting with others, or even being on their own.

When our child has a Hippo (uh….ahhh….er..I mean a Hypo) we tend to them immediately, don’t we.  We take them; off the field, in a corner backstage, or just to the sidelines and treat them.  We do what we have to do and get them back to where they need to be.  Off they go.

And it hits us.  No one else has to do this, our poor child should not have to even deal with this stupid disease?  Why can’t hey be allowed to just play?  Why can’t they be allowed to just do what they want without worrying about this disease?  We ask ourselves this each and every time, don’t we?

But here is the thing that we must realize, because of you…….that’s right—–YOU!!!!!–because of you and the fast acting way you have perfected dealing with your child’s low reaction during activities, in most cases, your child will barely give it a second thought.  When you treat them and they get back on the field as fast as they do, you are like the lightening speed of a ‘pit crew’ of a top-notch race car in a big race.

Your child pulls off to the side and you as a single team of experts doing all of the necessary ‘checks’ to get your child right back out there.  You have it down to a science.  You have perfected it over the years.  You know the focus is to get them ‘back out there’ and you are amazing at it.

But each and every time at night, when you are alone, it hits you and it upsets you.  If you told your child that you were upset, they would tell you to forget about it,  They would give you the “bye” you seek.  They have already moved on from everything dealing with the most recent hypo-reaction to the day they were diagnosed.

“I got it, let’s move on.  I am back in this game of life.” 

They can do that and they would tell you to the same.  Our kids are amazing and they move on each time.  Us? It hits us and we feel as if we are being sat upon by a hippo…..I think we should choose to try to do what our kids would do and give ourselves a “bye”.  Or maybe it is the fact that we take on the weight of everything so they don’t have to, and that is most important to us……that would make sense wouldn’t it?

We are parents and their happiness and their striving for goals THEY WANT…….for now…….that serves as our ‘bye’.   And next time you feel down about it…….you making them succeed is as powerful as it gets and carries more weight in their success………………..than even a hippo.  Remember that…..always.

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

A Reminder about Some Pretty Good “Insurance”.

GeckoRecently I was on business in the state of Florida.  As I left the parking lot, I spent 10 minutes trying to get this (what I thought was) little green gecko off the roof of my car.  There I am talking to the little cutie by telling him to get off or he will be blown into oblivion.

Well he would have none of it.  So I had to be on my way.

As I travelled, I came to my destination and there he was, clinging to the side of the car after a 10 mile trip where at times I was at speeds of 55 miles per hour.  I posted a picture on my FB pages and stated that it was clearly a marketing attempt by a company to get me to switch my car’s insurance company (waste of time I already am a client).

Many people, of course, immediately wrote to tell me that my little friend was not a Gecko but rather a Green Anole.  Okay.  Does a certain insurance company know that?  What I found fascinating about this little guy is the way he held on for the amount of time I was on the road.  It gave me two thoughts.

The first is do we hang on sometimes for dear life just so we are not blown off the vehicle and squished to no end.  Or are we hanging on because it is a really cool ride and we will stay with it as long as we can.  I would like to think that I am holding on because it is an incredible ride.

On my flight home last night, I sat next to a woman who had incredible stories to tell me about her family and her son in California.  I love listening to people and her life was so fascinating from the offices in Manhattan for most of her life, to her movie-writer son who with his wife, just made her a grandmother.  All of it, just fascinated me.

As we talked I shared some things about some of the things that have transpired in our lives and she looked at me and stated that my life sounded so incredibly fascinating.  Really?  As we look back at our lives do we see that we walked through any door that opened, and any one that closed did not stop us from moving forward?  Are we ‘clinging to life’…..or like my new little-gecko (Anole)-friend……just enjoying the ride.

Our lives ARE fascinating and it is important to step back every now and again and realize just how much we have experienced which has increased our knowledge in so many areas.  Even in the ‘ugly’ where we were holding on for ‘dear-life’ we made it through and became stronger.  But at the end of the day, we must enjoy the ride, like my little Gecko (Anole) friend.

How do I know he made that choice….well because at the next stop he was still there as night began.  I looked at him and said, well little fella you surely taught me a lesson today…….how do I know you weren’t just clinging on for dear life?

As the words finished….he walked up the car and posed for me.
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And proceeded to jump off the car and disappear into near-by grass.

Answer received.  Almost as if to say, “Thanks for the ride pal”.

Moral of the story……..the choice to cling or enjoy can be very close in resemblance some times……choose to enjoy.  That is a choice we can each make.   Take time to look and see it………in the end it will make you stronger.  It will teach each of us how we face each tomorrow…….and THAT’s…….. pretty darn good insurance.

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’

It’s Huuuuummmpppppp Day…eeeeeee

Hump dayWednesday, the middle of the work week, hump day.  After today, you are over the hump toward the weekend.  There is a commercial on now that I just love that pokes fun at Wednesday.  It’s a silly commercial but one that just makes you smile when you see it because of its silliness.

Here is the link to the commercial.

I love reading the various posts that people share when their kids do something that just seems completely outrageous.  Or they say something that is just so completely off the mark that it makes us laugh.

Years ago there was a man named Art Linkletter who had many successes and was the host of a show called Kid’s Say the Darnest Things.  Bill Cosby also hosted a version of it as well.  Kids would sit on stools and Art would just ask them questions and we would roar over the answers.  He once asked a child, “Who is the boss in your household, your mom or your dad?”  The young man responded, “They both are.”  Mr. Linkletter responded with, “You’re a real diplomat aren’t you?”  The boy simply stated, “No sir, I am a  Baptist.”

Simple laughter; can we ever get enough?

Please share with us something that made you laugh.  A favorite commercial, a favorite video (short), or even a favorite joke.   We could all use something to make us smile today, because it’s hump day.  We need to last through the weekend.

Make us laugh today.  Hump Day Humor.

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.