May 16, 2013

Accomplishments: Serious and Silly

This week I am joining Karen and many others in D-Blog Week.
Today's topic is, "Accomplishments Big and Small"


Our prompt of Today is: 
We don’t always realize it, but each one of us had come a long way since diabetes first came into our life. It doesn’t matter if it’s been 5 weeks, 5 years or 50 years, you’ve done something outstanding diabetes-wise. So today let’s share the greatest accomplishment you've made in terms of dealing with your (or your loved one’s) diabetes. No accomplishment is too big or too small - think about self-acceptance, something you’ve mastered (pump / exercise / diet / etc.), making a tough care decision (finding a new endo or support group / choosing to use or not use a technology / etc.).

I think one accomplishments in which take pride, and I will leave the evaluation of greatness to others, is this post. I am proud where writing it took me. It is fairly serious and I share another link that is spectacularly silly but related in that I shared with with the same friend I have never met other than in the DOC. 

Bad things happen to good people.

I wrote this for another T1 dad who has had some issues with a church preschool. OK y’all may not recognize me as the author here but what the heck here goes:

Bad things happen to good people. It isn’t God’s will that they happen but part of God’s providence. There is a distinction there that is small but significant.

If bad things only happened to bad people we could easily know who’s evil from there rest. It would be like God showing up in a cloud and tossing about lightening bolts. There would be no question of who was in charge and we would be compelled to believe in that all powerful God.

Now think of God as a parent. Parents want their kids to do OK and to love them back. We all kind of get around to the idea that, the kids have to choose to be OK and love us back for themselves.

God being infinite is infinitely more loving and wise is more aware of this truth than we are. So God is infinitely more motivated to let us, his children, choose to love him by NOT forcing us to do so. In short God keeps us in freedom to choose to love God or reject God because that is how love works. (Every one sing the Sting song, “If you love someone, set them free…” OK enough of that sillieness.)

So what does this have to do with the topic at hand? Lots. First we get what we can handle or more precisely what we can handle with God’s help. We didn’t do anything bad, were not being punished, it is just our at bat, our lot, our thing. It is real hard to keep that in mind particularly, when those piling on the crap are wearing religious garb and projecting that they are all wise and speaking for god. Nope they are just human.

Second, we only get what we can handle, if we couldn’t, if it was going to break us for sure, we wouldn’t get it. That ain’t saying it is an easy load. It is saying we have an even shot. No more, no less, we are in freedom.

Third somehow there is a way to be better for all of it, we have to find the up side of the equation that is keeping us in freedom to come out OK. I am not so sure that I know what that is. If I figure it out I’ll let you know but it is there someplace. Our gig is to find it and do it.

I am coming to feel that there is a community here that may be more than it seems. We are here to help each other with the diabetes thing but the fact is the real issue is how the diabetes thing gets into our heads and hearts. That is more than helping with blousing tips.

It may be that we are here to really reach out and say, “That is wrong. I will stand by you to help you not over react but to act in accordance with what is right.” We can’t change the way Fishville or some church board act and think. We can support each other and in doing so help ourselves on a better path.

So let me say that I empathize with every emotion you are feeling, I know them first hand. The real spiritual issue is not to let what we experience as the shallow hollow self interest of others turn us into them.

Stand up for your child, her mom, her grandfather and her brother. You were put on this path because you can come out of it a better stronger man, father, husband and son. I probably can too. It may well be that you sharing your experience is a way to help me see that it is the same for me.

Thanks for the hand.

Stand tall stand and proud stand up for the children you are God’s chosen advocate for. Do so in away that makes us, them and God proud of you. You have done so so far. I have faith you can continue to do so.

In the long run - it is how we react that counts


This was originally posted as:
http://www.ydmv.net/2007/10/bad-things-happen-to-good-people.html

And now for something completely different

That was a little deeper and really out of character for me. So here is another bit I did for the same guy far more in the public character of us both. I am just about as proud of this which should be proof that I am, at best, an adolescent at heart. Here is an excerpt, the full long link follows:

BadShoe: And you don't know the peoples’ names?
Brensdad: Well I should.
BadShoe: Well then who's on NPH?
Brensdad: Yes.
BadShoe: I mean the kid’s name.
Brensdad: Who.
BadShoe: The guy on NPH.
Brensdad: Who.
BadShoe: The NPH kid
Brensdad: Who.
BadShoe: The guy using...
Brensdad: Who is on NPH!
BadShoe: I'm asking YOU who's on NPH.
Brensdad: That's the kid’s name.
BadShoe: That's who's name?
Brensdad: Yes.
BadShoe: Well go ahead and tell me...

It go on and on at: http://www.ydmv.net/2008/07/not-that-abbott.html




3 comments :

  1. I have a plaque on my wall that says, "God doesn't give us what we can handle. He helps us handle what we are given." There are many times when I've said.. ENOUGH I can't handle anymore, and then I see the plaque and am reminded that I'm not doing this myself.

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  2. LYMI - And in all dimensions!

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