A Mom’s Message

The gift is there

When your beautiful, healthy child is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, you’re broken-hearted. You feel anger, fear, confusion, and frustration. You are grieving a loss. You seek medical, emotional, and spiritual assistance from family, friends, and professionals because you need to help your child and yourself. You begin to feel as though you’re the driver in a raging race against time, trying hard not to crash and burn. You must muster your courage so you can show your child how to stay the course until he or she becomes the driver.

This opportunity is gift for you to respect your intuition, express your sorrow, and experience your frustration. It is an invitation to research and read as much as possible about diabetes. I’m confident that you can overcome whatever guilt or fear you may be feeling to become courageous and confident.

When our son, Joshua, was diagnosed I felt shock, laughter, heartache, encouragement, disappointment, tears, pride, terror, gratitude, anger, exhaustion, and confusion. I remembered the seemingly endless challenges and responsibilities of helping Joshua manage his diabetes. And I recognized that each feeling and each lesson of those years has become a precious gift—of love, understanding, independence and respect.

As you, your child, and your family face your own lessons and challenges with diabetes, be open to the gifts life gives us. The wrapping may be dreadful and the ribbon ragged, but if you’re aware—if you stay the course—the gifts will be there!