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.