It's hard to believe that it's D-Blog week again.
Already.
This is D-Blog week's fifth birthday and it is the fourth year that I've been participating. I missed the first year because, back then, I didn't even know that the Diabetes Online Community existed. Something I find hard to imagine now after four years of being an active participant.
The idea of D-Blog week is for diabetes bloggers in all shapes and forms to write about the same topic. Each day we get a different topic to write about. We all post a link to our blog here and then we can read all sorts of different perspectives on the same topic. It's great. I have enjoyed writing about most of the topics presented and I love finding new bloggers out there.
So Happy Birthday D-Blog week. I'm looking forward to celebrating all week.
Today's topic is 'Change the World' and it challenges us to write about any topic that we might be passionate about when it comes to diabetes.
I don't really have one diabetes passion.
I think I have two.
Both have to do with teaching people, myself included.
The first thing that really gets me excited is talking to diabetes educators about what it's like to be on my side of the table. Talking to them about what it's like during the other 364.5 days of the year when I'm not sitting in their office getting state of the art diabetes support.
I have had two opportunities now to speak to a group of diabetes educators and both were wonderful experiences. I talked about the darker side of diabetes and stressed the important role that the Diabetes Online Community plays in many people's lives. Both presentations ended with a ton of questions from the audience which was great. But I think my favourite part was watching their eyes tear up when I talked about some of the very real fears that we have to wrestle with every day. And then watching their eyes light up when I gave them some ideas about how to make the most of the small amount of time we do get to spend with them every year.
I would LOVE to do more talks like that.
The other thing I'm really passionate about is showing others, as well as myself, that diabetes is the best damn motivator there is.
Diabetes, if you let it, can be overwhelming, depressing and scary.
Diabetes, if you let it, can also be the motivation you need to try new things, rid your life of the negative stuff and say yes to adventures.
Diabetes can make us afraid or diabetes can give us courage.
It's our choice.
It's a choice that can't be made once. It is one that we need to make every day. The second we wake up. Even if we wake up shaky and sweaty at 3am or wake up dry-mouthed and super high when the alarm goes off.
Most days, I make the choice to be brave and strong. To say yes to new things and to keep the negative stuff at arm's length
Some days I don't do that as well as I'd like.
But my passion to show others that it can be done is what motivates me to do it myself.
And every day is a new day.
How will you face today?
I love this post and that's so awesome that you were able to talk to Diabetes Educators about what the other side is like. I hope all DE get a chance to hear that kind of talk.
ReplyDeleteVery motivating post too! :)
Thank you for what you do for all PWDs, Celine. I hope you can give more talks like that, too!
ReplyDeleteThese are both such wonderful causes - thank you for all you are doing. And thank you so much for participating in DBlogWeek four years in a row!
ReplyDeleteThat's such an amazing opportunity to be able to talk to Diabetes Educators. I hope you get to do more of them
ReplyDelete