I have no picture to share, nothing really about any specific event. Just wanted to share a little ray of hope we received tonight. After nearly 3 years, we met a fellow Type 1. Not a Type 1 that we met at the doctor's office, or on the internet, or at an event. We met her in our Bible Study and got to spend a really nice time talking to her our about shared journeys - her as a Type 1 and us as parents of one.
This new couple that joined us tonight - Blythe and Jared - are a nice-looking young couple that I've actually never met before. I didn't realize that they had started coming to our church. But, to be quite honest, we've missed the past 2 weeks and the 3 weeks before that short break were spent in the crazy chaos that is Christmastime. Anyway, we got to meet them tonight. It wasn't until our meal was over, at the very end of the night that she came over and sat by me and said, "Do you have a diabetic son?". (Debbie, when she was praying at the end of our study, mentioned his disease) I told her yes and she said, "I'm one too!". This started a wonderful 30 min conversation between her and her husband and Pete and I - though, if I'm being honest, it was mostly between the two of us talkers. ;-) I introduced Noah to her and he got to see that they have the same pump. He was glad to see that, but much happier to run back and join his friends in a game of basketball to be bothered with our conversation.
She shared her story of diagnosis and told us about how long she had been living with it. She told us that one of her brothers is also a Type 1. She talked to us about our experience and how Noah handles it all. I think she was impressed at how laid back we are about it and how open and honest he is about his disease. I can't really share everything we talked about, because we jumped so quickly from topic to topic. For me, it was like I finally got to meet someone in "real life", someone that could end up becoming a friend, that knows our journey. Knows our fears, our struggles, our triumphs, because she has experienced them too, through Noah's eyes.
As a mom who is recovering from a major breakdown back in Aug-Oct, this was like water for a thirsty man. A flesh and blood person who has lived through puberty, lived through college, that is a normal, healthy adult that can say to me, "It's going to be ok.". It brings tears to my eyes to write that "out loud". To say, "IT'S GOING TO BE OK!". I don't know if I realized how much I needed to hear that from someone who's lived it.
I feel like I'm in a much better place than I was last fall. My anxiety is almost gone. I'm sleeping again. The pump has made such a huge difference in our lives, but that doesn't mean I forget all those feelings and all those fears. I don't think we ever realize, when we're on this journey, who will touch us most. Who will say something small, but have it touch us deeply. But, tonight, it happened and I SO look forward to getting to know her and her husband more. Not just because of our commonality, but because they seem like special people and, without them even knowing it, they made this mom breathe in a way she hasn't for quite a long time.
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