What did you do on World Diabetes Day?
We celebrated with friends.
You might recognize some of those friends. Kris from My Sugar Bugs, Wendy from Candy Hearts, Tracy from The Superhero and The Princess, Donna from The Sugar Kids Blog and Stephanie from My Life as a Pancreas were there with their kids along with a bunch of non-blogging D mamas and their families.
We had such a good time!
We met at a park and participated in the Big Blue Test.
The Big Blue Test begins with a blood sugar test. The kids all pulled out their meters, and of course, we moms had to photograph them. Wendy brought this great sign. I didn't have the right angle to capture it nicely, and didn't have time to change my angle, as Jack was feeling low and needed his meter. You might want to check Wendy's blog, because if I know Wendy, she'll most certainly post a super shot of this. :-)
Feeling low, Jack tested quickly, before the other kids. With a BG of 56, he was eating fruit snacks, while the other kids were then testing.
After testing, and boosting those who needed it, the kids paraded around the park for their 15 minutes of activity. The leader of the parade was Kris' Grasshopper, and he kept the kids moving. He had them walking, running, hopping, skipping, jumping, climbing, sliding, wiggling and giggling. Grasshopper was such a good sport!
I think Sugar wins the best-dressed award. Don't you love her WDD shirt and tutu? And let's not forget the blue hair ribbon.
When their 15 minutes were up, the kids tested again.
This was my favorite part of the day. The parents and kids alike began talking numbers and making pre- and post-parade comparisons.
"My blood sugar's 71. What's yours?" I heard Jack ask.
In his everyday life at home, at school, at Cub Scouts, at tennis, at baseball and so on, Jack is the only child with Diabetes. He is alone. He is singled out. He is different.
Today, he was one of 10 children with Diabetes. He was not the only one testing. He was not the only one with low blood sugar. He was not the only one for whom we were celebrating World Diabetes Day.
It was during this testing-and-talking time that I felt a synergy. There was something greater going on. There was similarity. There was unity. There was support. There was comfort. There was connection. There was community.
It warmed my heart. I am so grateful that Jack knows these other kids and has these experiences with them. I feel so fortunate to be able call these families my friends. I only wish we could see them all more often!
After this amazing moment, it was treat time! Kris made these awesome gluten-free cupcakes. Notice the blue circle for World Diabetes Day? Clever, huh? Delicious, too!
 | | "Happy World Diabetes Day!" |
Afterward, the kids ran off to play.
We parents got into a little Type 1 Talk. Our Talk was nothing formal or organized. But when you gather 10 D mamas together, the conversation inevitably turns to T1D.
Recognize any of these D mamas? From left to right: Ann, Steffanie, Stephanie, Me, Tracy, Donna, Katie, Kris, Wendy and Samantha
We all had a blast!
Even Alex enjoyed his first-ever park outing in celebration of World Diabetes Day.
I can not think of a better way to have celebrated World Diabetes Day!
Life is good!
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