The more days I wake up from March 17th (my diagnosis of type 1 betes), the more I realize the difficulties that diabetics face on a daily basis. I am not going to spend my time naming them off because all of you know them or may come to face them. However, there are a few things that diabetes has taught me too:
1) I have become so much more in tuned with myself and my body and have made some changes in my life, some more reluctant than others. However, I believe these changes (such as taking up yoga, do not work out for too long, eat healthy, tend to any pain either big or small, relax more and have more time for yourself).
2) Not to judge ANYONE because whatever issue they are facing may seem the size of a bean to you but can grow to a size of a bean stock in their mind. So who are we to judge them.
3) Ignorance may be bliss to some, but it also limits progression in life as well.
4) Value TRUE friends who will be there for you no matter what, even if you are having a diabetes breakdown of a life time. And don't hold against the people who you thought were friends if they aren't as compassionate as they seem, rather forgive them because they have challenges they may be facing that again seem small to you but may consume them.
5) Be kind to EVERYONE, as Dr. Randy Pausch said Oprah in his "Last Lecture", be nice to everyone and eventually they will show you there good side.
6) Diabetes has taught me to truly empathize with anyone and everyone and KUDOS to you who are still coping when stress seems too much to bare with having jobs, raising families, feeling alone, not affording proper treatment for this disease, or whatever difficulties that may come your way.
I don't want people to wallow in self-pity and doubt (although lord knows it's extremely easy to and I have done it many times) rather I hope you wake up each day and grin through it and bare it because that in itself is monumental and a song that puts a smile on my face when I am down and I hope it will for you too is "When you're Smiling" by Louis Prima.