At the December Diapoint coffee morning for parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes, one of the moms gave me this gingerbread house and said, “Thank you for being a superwoman and for all you do for us and the diabetes community.”
It was such a touching, unexpected gift. I love it. As we gathered and shared our wins and challenges as the gingerbread house lingered nearby, a few things came to mind. I am not the only superwoman in this story.
Every parent raising a child with Type 1 diabetes (or any chronic condition) is a superhuman in disguise
You are the ones:
- Waking up at 2am to check blood sugars.
- Doing the mental math on carbs while answering emails and packing school bags.
- Advocating with schools, doctors, relatives, and sometimes your own employer.
- Carrying years of exhaustion, worry, and love in the same body you use to do everything else.
Even without added health challenges, being a mom requires extra super powers
Add a chronic condition, and the load is invisible to most people. This is the load many of us know too well.
This gingerbread house is so meaningful to me because,
No one builds a house alone.
This one was built by a community of women
A community of women who:
- Fight and advocate for their children every single day.
- Share middle of the night texts and support each other through those terrifying highs and lows.
- Hold space for each other’s fear, grief, and wins… and so much more.
To every parent in this community:
You are the foundation, the walls, the roof, and the lights in the windows.
You are the superwomen.
Thank you for letting me be one small brick in this house we are building together, as we continue to welcome others into this community.
Maybe one day, this house will serve a different purpose, but until then I know we all live here.
