Blue Candles. For those of you who aren't familiar with this symbol.....the DOC (diabetes online community) show compassion and solidarity to a family who lost a loved one to Type 1 diabetes by posting photos of this candle. It's all over social media as of late.
Death. The real life true co-morbidity of diabetes. It's a reminder of why so many of us use media and blogging and Facebook and Twitter to engage the community. No one wants to lose this war..
My friend from *life before diabetes and kids and a mortgage* is now a pastor at a church in my hometown. He survived leukemia in high school and married a wonderful woman and settled into a life enriched by service. He and his wife and a host of other tremendous people serve as missionaries, on occasion, to Haiti and Africa. Guess what they do there?? Funny how small a world it is sometimes.....among a TON of amazing networking and compassion care for churches in those communities, they provide medicine to children....with....diabetes!
:)
Just a big ole toothy :)
Like insulin. Yeah. That is what I'm talking about. No one is tweeting about it....no one is lamenting over a clever wall post.....they are talking the talk....walking the walk.
My friend, Mark, the pastor, was recently diagnosed again with cancer. His second battle. I rarely if ever watch any religious television....maybe because I watch PBS or Nick Jr.....even when the kids aren't in the room....but as of late, reading about another family losing a child to diabetes....or a family with three children of their four having diabetes and their father battling cancer himself.....or solar glare....high tide, something compelled me to watch Mark's sermon this morning. Maybe it was the infomercial calling people with T2 diabetes Diabesity. I won't go there....Instead....I clicked play....
Now, I won't be quoting scriptures or asking for you to come to the pulpit....I will simply share with you what I gleaned from his testimony about his current life circumstance.
Life is a valley, and the sun, and the birds, bad times, traffic, friends, burnt dinner, laughter....it is seeing that shadow in the valley of our hard times....and thanking the sun for creating it.
Finding the hope and will to find gratitude for the trials and tribulations of this disease. My child has diabetes. Many people I consider family and certainly consider my anchors have diabetes....it's our valley. That shadow of death....I will thank the sun today, for making it. Celebrating the warmth of the sun ( my DOC, you....and you...and you) for shining into the valleys of all of us. Reminding us of the light and when we are full of fear and self doubt.....shining into the valley to light our paths.
It's okay to see the shadow....to walk through the shadow. We have each other.....no need to fear.
I'll stay away from golf courses and bodies of water today....as to not attract any lightening. HA!
Love, me
