Here’s a new theme idea for National Diabetes Awareness Month: making peace with your illness. For those of us who already have diabetes, expanded public awareness is nice to have, but doesn’t necessarily change anything. This train of thought brought me back to my oldest daughter’s little challenge a few years ago… kids are wonderful for making you look at things through fresh eyes:
A Brassy Little Game
“Would you rather spend two days in the boys’ locker room, or get slimed?” my 9-yr-old asks.
“Would You Rather…?” is her new game.
“Um, slimed, I guess,” I reply, screwing up my face (as I lurch around the kitchen, trying to beat my own Personal Best at emptying the dishwasher).
“Would you rather get 100 cupcakes with icing — even if you can’t eat them — or get your diabetes cured?”
“Oh, easy,” I say. “Cure the diabetes.”
“But Mom, then you wouldn’t have that cool blog, and be writing that book, and doing that newspaper thing for dLife, and all that, right?”
She actually said that. I froze (mid-silverware-basket).
“Yeah, you’re right, honey. I guess I really can’t imagine where my life would be right now without the diabetes — although my body could sure do without it.”
What a brassy little game.
I can’t imagine my life without it although, I would love to!
I just think you have made tasty lemonade from the worst lemons.
Great point! Love it! My children say that to us too.
This post is so great. I dig your website. It has actually been a huge part of a significant realization and revolution I had today about my diabetes, my life, and my approach to it. This post and your blog have become an inspiration to me. So thank you.
I’m glad you have diabetes and have made such a great batch of sugar free lemonade to rival Crystal Light’s blend ANY day!
A simple little child’s game like that makes you think about life in such different ways. You can learn / teach a lot of different moral lessons with that game. You are put in situations with those questions that you may have never thought about before and you realize new things about yourself. It is a great learn about yourself type game.
WOW- life with out D? I can just barely remember what that’s like.
That long ago life involved green bottles of Sprite;FunnDipp,Pixie Stixx, playing “Cut the Cake’ on the beach and tap dancing on the Steel Pier.
Diabetes brought me to the DOC, it brought me lots of friends, and it brought me to your blog. And for all those things – I’m glad.
I don’t have an answer- but I’m sure glad I found you.
[...] Tenderich of Diabetes Mine shares a “would you rather…?” moment from her 9-year old daughter. It’s a poignant reminder, seen through the eyes of a child, [...]
[...] 411 brings us into what teens want when it comes to their relationships with their parents and the “would you rather…?” story that Amy Tenderich of Diabetes Mine shares with us. The punch line is great. Her 9 year old melts [...]