Hey, Moms of Kids with Diabetes—Olympic Moms have nothing Over You…..Take a Bow.

Olympic Rings MomsOlympic parents.  Specifically Olympic moms.  Ever see them in the stands?  Close-up, upon close-up, of the moms who know everything their child sacrificed and diligently worked at to be in the Olympics.  Proctor and Gamble even did a commercial about Olympic moms.

Yeah, so what.

Actually I don’t mean to belittle those moms and in fact I have great respect for them, But I also am very aware of a different kind of mom.  Moms who go through life with the same hope, the same expectancy, the same anxiety, the same disappointment, the same joy, and the same drive for gold…….but there is no camera showing a national audience the faces of these moms…..in fact there is not even a gold medal awaiting their child…….nit even a bronze….because these moms are dealing with diabetes in the privacy of their own lives, and not in a national spotlight whatsoever.

But make no mistake about it……those facial expressions that you see on TV with those Olympic moms are just as present on these special moms, and are there every day because moms of kids with diabetes are just as diligent, just as involved, just as hoping-for-the-best as any mom of any athlete competing in Rio.

And that’s you (yes, I know—-there are dads too).  So to all of those kids out there living with diabetes, this is to your moms who help their kids strive for gold every day in their own lives.  The gold of getting EVERYTHING life has to offer.  Moms do that.  Your mom does that.  So moms, Imagine your picture within the rings of the picture I included, these are but a handful of moms; but we know that you could fill the entire city of Rio, if you wanted.  Without fanfare, without spotlights, without commercials about what you do…..but just because you are you……you are, indeed, gold.

I am a diabetes dad.
Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

The Olympic Flame is Out…….Random Thoughts of Diabetes During the Olympics…..Am I Alone in This?

Olympic ringsDo you find yourself looking at things differently than so many others.  Do you somehow take diabetes and place it in a realm that it might not so necessarily be reflected?

Now that the Olympics have ended, here are some things that I thought to myself as I watched.  Now they may not make sense as being practical but I thought them none-the-less and I share them with you.

–How come the P&G commercials were only for moms; it surely is not as if dads did not play a role, right?
–How would a P&G commercial look for kids/parents with diabetes?
–Every time I saw sponsors for games of gathered people like Olympics, Special Olympics, and Paralympics; did anyone else think there should be one for people with diabetes and all money left after the games could go toward diabetes causes?
–Anyone wonder how Kris Freeman was feeling or what he was doing as you watched the games?
–I could not help but ask myself, why are there not others with diabetes in the Olympics; and when I saw highlights of Kris’ competition–my questions were answered.  Tough is newly defined for me.
–Do other people from other countries swell with pride when their country’s flag is raised and their national anthem is played; like I do?
–Did you wish there was a mechanism/organization/event that awarded medals to our kids for doing what they do……I challenge any Olympian to do what our kids do and not feel as if a medal should be offered….right?  And they should NOT need to wait 50 years to get a medal from Joslin (a program I love, for the record).
–I found myself saying, so many of these athletes are so young, I hope they don’t ‘get diabetes…..any of you say the same thing?
–Should there be games for just people with diabetes?

I love the Olympics and there are so many stories and names that were not in our minds before the Olympics that are now household names and events.  I find it odd that I related so much diabetes stuff to the games and as I stated, some ideas are boarder-line silly; but I thought of these things and wondered if anyone else did the same and if so; what were your thoughts relating to your own life as you watched the Olympics?

I am a diabetes dad.

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

 

To Our Kids: Olympian Kris Freeman is Gold Whether He is on the Podium or Not

Kris Freeman CWD kidsIt was the 2010 Olympics and US Cross Country Skier, Kris Freeman, was just seconds from the lead and his blood sugar began to plummet, Kris did all he could to even stay in the race, much less take over the lead.  But he did not give up.

The world of competitive sports is gruelling on any normal day, make it the world-wide stage of the Olympics; it becomes almost unimaginable.  Add to the mix that one has type one diabetes—-well–there is just no word for that, is there? 

But I have a word:

Hero.

Kris Freeman said the following recently:
“I will compete in the first of four races at the 2014 Olympics. Each time I will think of the thousands of children I’ve met over the last 10 years and try to win a medal for all of us.”

Like I said; hero.

Kris, although I know his absolute drive is to win a medal, does not have to stand on a podium to bring gold home to the United States; for the so many who have diabetes—he has already done that by participating.  To withstand all it takes to be IN THE Olympics is enough to make any one in the diabetes community stand proud.  And we do.  Click the picture below to hear what Kris had to say on NBC about being a person with diabetes in the Olympics.
DSCN0147

Of course Kris is not just racing for ‘diabetic athletes everywhere’ as Ms. Vargas stated in the introduction to the interview, he is racing for America, and also for anyone who has diabetes and has a dream of any kind.

He races for anyone who needs to see that diabetes should stop them from nothing.  He races for himself to prove he can; and through that we all win, don’t we?

Something we do in the diabetes community; we say job well done.  I read a question in a post if there was a way to say thanks to Kris; and I can tell you that if you look at the picture at the start of this article; it was taken at the Children with Diabetes Friends for Life Conference in 2010.  At that conference, just months after the last Olympics, a group of kids with diabetes gave Kris a Gold Medal of his own.  A Gold Medal for inspiration.

Because when it comes right down to it, for what Kris does by EVEN BEING at the Olympics, in the eyes of those who live with diabetes, well……….that is about as good as Gold!

I am a diabetes dad.

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

Another Video to Help Your Kids (and You) Realize; Limitation is Only in the Mind. Watch it Together.

No LImitThis is not a rock’em sock’em story.  This is a real story with a real message.  It’s a story of struggles.  It’s a story of perseverance.  It’s a story of diabetes.  It’s the story of a young man who had a dream.

You may have heard his name before, but you have never seen him unless you see him through the camera lens like we did when I was at dLife and created this six-minute story.  To this day I think it is one of the best and most uplifting stories we had ever created.

I feel that way because it’s real.  It shows the tough part.  It shows that the goal is worth the work.  Take a look at it and sit your child with diabetes down and watch with them again.

They too will realize that being an Olympian or playing outside with friends; no goal is unattainable.

Enjoy the story of Gary Hall.

http://www.dlife.com/dlifetv/video/gary-hall

I am a diabetes dad.

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

No D**bet*s Blog Day—Two Videos to Watch and Feel Good.

In Honor of a Blog where I cannot mention the “D” word; I decided to give you some videos that have made me feel good.   The first one is from Singing in the Rain and so taxing was this number on Donald O’Connor that he missed his next scheduled film and the role was given to Danny Kaye.  That film was White Christmas.  From SInging in the Rain, enjoy “Make them Laugh”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oWk4ZiuSHE

 

And for you underdog fans.  Having virtually no chance to win a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics being in 4th place after the short program; this young lady from Long Island went out and skated the routine of a lifetime.  That ‘no chance’ turned out that Sarah’s stars aligned perfectly and she indeed took home the gold.  Enjoy the ‘routine of a lifetime’ –Sarah Hughes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Au7ZvpO2E

Hope you enjoyed No D**bet*s Blog Day.

I am a D**bet*s Dad