Thursday, May 19, 2011

My secret.

I get asked all the time, how I do it.

Inevitably, as soon as introductions are made...the question comes.

How do you do it?

I'm going to tell you my secret right now. No point dancing around it.

At the risk of sounding completely sappy...

The answer to that question and every other variation of it, is love.

I survive Our Diabetic Life because of love.

I thrive at times through Our Diabetic Life because of love.

I'm not being Bragity McBragerson here or anything...I'm not saying the love that abides here is stronger than the love that abides in your home...

I'm just acknowledging that in my hardest hours...on my saddest of days...it was love that brought me through to the other side.

Sometimes it is the love from my husband. Sure, he has his moments, but for the most part.. well actually, for the all the time part...knowing he loves me, and thinks I am beautiful even when I don't get a shower for three days, well that...makes all the difference. He pitches in too...this is most certainly OUR Diabetic Life. From day 1 he has been in the trenches with me. He is my partner, and I for sure recognize his wonderfulness as a big umbrella like influence in my life. He has protected me from many a hard-time-hail-storm.

Sometimes it is the love from my children. Man, sometimes they can just look at me and I seriously melt with ooey gooey sincere admiration and unconditional love. They handle his life better than I would ever have when I was a kid. For real...I was pretty whiny when it came to anything uncomfortable. Their strength sieves into me...their bravery buoys me up. I often see myself down in the dumps and realize...if they can do it...so can I! There are days their brave faces are my lifeline.

Sometimes it is the love shown to me by my extended family. My mother in law is a saint. There, I said it. She is. She lightens my burden so I don't get too overwhelmed. She cooks meals, she brings boys to school, she is willing to pitch in at a moment's notice. Last week she was in the hospital, and she is taking a week or two off to gain back some strength. Wow. Being a full time mom is hard! Doing all the car pooling and more cooking than usual...it is a big load! When all is said and done, I'm pretty sure she is one of the biggest reasons I still have my sanity. Well, her and my sister in law who is willing to watch the boys at the drop of a hat. I mean seriously...how lucky am I to have a sister in law willing to babysit, bolus, and carb count for three boys who have diabetes...and take on their brother and our dog too! Also, my parents have us over every friday night. Taking some of the day to day chores off my plate is HUGE!

Sometimes I get support from the most amazing group of people online. I haven't met most of them, but they are considered family just the same. Sometimes it is the love I receive from people like you. Getting messages and emails telling me that they my blogging helps ease their burden a bit. Knowing that I can sow the seed of "same" around the bandwidths of the internet...wow. There have been many days I've gotten notes when I am at a low point...and those notes lift me up again. It is no accident that you send me these emails. I always get them when I need them most.

Sometimes it is the love of my Heavenly Father that gets me through. Well, most of the time he has a hand in it whether I see it or not. I know he knows my name. I know he sees my struggles. I know there are days that he carries my burden for me...the days that I let him anyway.

I have a lot to learn...but if I have learned anything from this diabetic life...it is that love can prevail. It will prevail if you let it in. Some of my darkest times have been when I shut other people out. On those days I think no one understands, and I climb into my cave to hibernate with my self-pity. In hindsight, I can see that in these times my critical mistake was turning away from the people that love me the most.

Critical mistake because no matter how strong we are...we can't do this alone.

I can't do this alone.

And I am so thankful I don't have to.

How do I do it?

I am blessed with love, and surrounded by wonderfulness.

That is how I do it.

Don't cry for me Argentina.

I am Okay.

25 comments:

  1. LOVE this post! Yes, it's LOVE that keeps us going. Well said. And thank you, as always, for sharing your beautiful thoughts.

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  2. Wonderful post as always Meri!
    Any chance your MIL and SIL are willing to take on a charity case? I could use some love over here! :)

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  3. Beautiful. I'm somewhat envious, but so grateful to know you have amazing support. Love always wins.

    It's hard being on your own. I have my husband -- who is gone 14 hours a day for work, plus taking full time college classes. He can take on any D task with ease...when he's here.

    No family, except for when my father is here part of the year -- but he can't do diabetes, and hardly knows how to interact with my children. My mother is far away, and never comes to visit. She offers to help, but then her life always falls apart and there's always something more important on her plate.

    I have found love in fellow mothers -- mothers who are willing to learn and mothers who already know. Mothers who can recognize when I'm about to explode and offer to take them for a few hours.

    And our school nurse. I wouldn't have survived school this long if I didn't have her to keep watch of my girl.

    And you guys. My fellow D Mamas keep lift me up time after time...pit after pit. I don't know where I'd be without them.

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  4. A beautiful tribute!

    I'm hearing the Beatles singing "All you need is love..." :)

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  5. Beautiful post, Meri! Perfect way of explaining how any of us do it, but most especially how you do!

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  6. Love and work does it for us! Jules and I are so fortunate to have each other, in this together. We have no other support from family or friends, they just can't do what is needed - looking at ability and/or capacity. The DOC (and we've now met quite a few in real life!)have been our greatest support, and thanks to you too for that. Andrew x

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  7. Meri, thank you for your post today. I was feeling a bit down, burdened by my own D-care. You put things in perspective.
    Thank you!!! With love!!

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  8. all you need is love...love, love, love...
    I tell myself this all the time lately when I feel myself drowning, when another medical bill arrives in the mail and I see a BG of 440 when my oldest says I want glucose tabs, too and I just never know exactly how to parent all of this...
    I appreciate this post so much right now - my cave was feeling a little too dark and too tight, you're right it is not easier on our own.
    Thank for the reminder about how amazing love is Meri ;)
    (and oddly enough "stumbl" is my word verification..weird!!)

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  9. They know this as well. It is always about love. Such a great D mom!

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  10. Like you said... These messages always seem to come when you need them! ;-)
    Thank you and God bless!! <>

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  11. Beautiful Meri. LOVE is the best to get by on. Absolutely. You do it with such humor, grace and honesty my dear friend. You are awesome in so many ways.

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  12. This is lovely - I'm so glad you have the multi-layered support onion (oops, I mean "system") around you!

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  13. Love is a wonderfully powerful thing!

    I'm seriously jonesing for some Grandpa time for Bug...he and Grandma are on vaca (how dare they!!) and with these past two weeks being super busy, I'm appreciating him more and more.

    Thankfully I'm retreating to my cave less and less, but it still beckons from time to time. I need to remind myself to reach out instead of retreat!!

    Sending lots of love you way!!

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  14. Love is what keeps us all going. Loved this post, Meri. xxxxxx

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  15. It is obvious that you are well loved Meri, because you pour all of your love out to everyone else all the time... only a well loved person could do that.

    You are very lucky, but THEY are even more lucky to have YOU. <3

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  16. Thank you Meri for sharing how you do it. You are still a super-pancreas in my eyes, and knowing you have such a strong support system makes me smile. Knowing you are loved and cared for means you won't be leaving us for teh funny-farm anytime soon ;).

    And, look at your LOVEly new photo on your sidebar! It didn't escape my superhero vision. Nope! I can spot a happy pretty D-Mama from a mile away with my gluco-tab smeared, rose colored glasses ;)

    I have said it before and I will say it again . . . I love you Mmmmmeeeeerrrri!

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  17. MERI=MY HERO. I know I say it time and time again. But, it is true. When I first started blogging, I was sooooo infatuated with you, still am. A post would pop up on my dashboard and I could not/can not wait to read what wisdom, love, insight you would pour out to the rest of us on that day. You definitely put much love out there my friend, perhaps that is why you are emmersed in it. Love to you.

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  18. Love makes the world go round! Love you, Meri. You are so blessed - thank you for sharing your blessings with us. You are always willing to lend and ear or an inspirational word. I am blessed just by having you in my life.

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  19. meri, this is beautiful! i too am blessed with wonderful support, both in real life and online.

    and i love you too! ;)

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  20. LOVE it! I agree with Amy: it's great to know you are taken care of by others.
    Funny that just today a mom said to me: I don't know how you do it. I thought: because I love him.

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  21. YES! Love is right on. No matter how down I get, how tired I am, how beat up and nuts I become...love prevails!
    You are still my air Meri
    (no pressure or anything! HA!) Loves and hugs always

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  22. Love! To give it and receieve it keeps me going as well! You really are amazing! Cheers!

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  23. You are so awesome Meri, and unknowingly have helped me through some rough diabetes times just by posting something totally meaningful to me, and you don't realize you are even doing it! You, as always, rock!!

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