One Big Fat Year Later

Last year I started this site. Last year I thought it might be fun to write about diabetes, running, and food. I felt like sharing my experiences with a disease that has been my companion for roughly 16 years. I wanted to branch out and experience life as something other than a diabetic “on her own.”

I never planned for this blog to journal the diagnosis journey for my son’s autism. I never planned to journal my despair over my young daughter’s diabetes diagnosis only two weeks later.

One cannot predict the turns one’s life will take, independent of my own direction.

One year later I am stronger, smarter, my heart is more full, my legs are more tired, and my thoughts are heavier than I ever imagined they could be. One year and 11,518 visitors later……I am still the same mom with diabetes who struggled through the day in day outs of two pregnancies with type 1 diabetes to usher my babies into this world.

What do I expect for year 2?
1. I expect to finish my Partners in Policymaking leadership training course, and I hope to implement real change in the lives of family’s touched by developmental disability in my community.
2. I expect to continue to fear and be hurt by type 1 diabetes in my young daughter, but I also expect to be empowered by her awesome growth and ability to rise to any challenge she faces.
3. I expect to journey farther in the arena of occupational therapy and special education and I hope to partner with my son’s new school in a way I could not with his school last year.

What do I hope for?
1. I hope to learn how to apply to virtues of patience in all areas of my life, consistently.
2. I hope to apply my listening skills (rather than my speaking skills) in my relations with other families. I want to “hear” their hurdles, so I can have focus when I choose community problems I want to address with my leadership training.
3. Love in all of my affairs. Love and understanding.