The Text...

Lily's drawing of the pitch fork people, a.ka. "American Gothic"

I got a text from the school nurse yesterday that was pretty funny. It read, "Lily was 53. She decided on two pieces of chocolate to treat. She didn't like how she felt coming out of the low. She said 'milk is a better choice I think.' Nice to see her taking ownership of her diabetes."

I could not agree more! Lily is growing up so fast and it makes me so proud to see who she is becoming. I feel like by giving her the choices we have, she is really learning to make wise decisions on her own. She is coming to her own conclusions about many things and a lot of the time, it is a heathy choice she is making. For example, the other day, I asked her what snack she would like to bring to school. Her first response was Cheez Its. She then said, "No mama, I want a pear. That way it's healthier." I just smiled and said, "Good choice, kiddo."

She is finding herself on her own with encouragement from her parents, not with us guiding her in certain directions. She is finding that she has a strong love of sports. Basketball is currently her favorite but she is now asking to try volleyball this summer. She is very certain of who she is and is not afraid to be that person. I admire that so much. I don't remember being that confident at 7 years old.

Lily is the most amazing artist. She gets that from Eric and I am so happy they will always have that special bond between them. They can sit and draw together for hours. She is known in her class for being the "best artist." She has been elected to draw the cover of just about every class book they have made and for that, she feels very special.

Sometimes I wonder if Lily would be the same strong-willed, confident, independent little girl if she didn't have diabetes. It seems to have made her mature a little faster and look at things a little differently than her peers. She is faced with more decisions than the average 7 year old and she has had to overcome more hurdles...is still overcoming them and always will. She has had that soft background music that is diabetes playing in her mind she was 3. It has to have had at least a small effect on molding her into who she is today.

I am planning a seminar through work here for our elementary-aged kids that focuses on building a healthy plate of food and learning to carb count. These kids of ours are going to be adults one day. They need to learn how to make good choices in life and in health. I think that if they learn from an early age NOT to eliminate all "fun foods" from their diet, but to add healthier choices to their "fun foods" to slow down their carb absorption, they will be less likely to go on binges or have eating disorders. Everything in moderation!