D Meet-up and FFL

While we were on vacation, I called the fabulous Kelly of Diabetesaliciousness fame, to see if she wanted to hop on over a town or two and meet up with us. Of course she said yes, cause she is totally fabulous like that!

We met in our traditional spot in town. We walked the shops. Grace had her nails painted. She showed us American Girl doll accessories she wants. We watched a magician perform as it was 'Family Thursday' on the Avenue. It was HOT. Like surface-of-the-sun hot.

We got hungry. Well, Grace got hungry and we followed suit. Found a great A/C lunch place. Menus were fussed over, choices about breakfast-for-lunch were made and we had a grand old time catching up face to face, as opposed to the emails and text messages we send each other.

Kelly helps Grace in so many ways.
She lets her see a woman who is living her life with diabetes.
And there are conversations between them that I cannot help with, that they have with each other.

I can tell Grace that she will be fine, that she will grown into a strong woman, a strong mother and grandmother, but it's Kelly who brings it home to her.

It's Kelly pulling out her pump and testing and telling Grace she's a little high today and Grace nodding in agreement and telling her that whew, she had a few high days this past week too.

It's Grace telling Kelly that she hates this diabetes and Kelly nods, and Kelly tells her that it's not the falling down that's the problem, it's the staying down.

It's Grace telling Kelly that Momma has a saying of 'Just Do It' when things get bad and when she doesn't think she can do it one more day. And Kelly says she has 'Just Do It' days too.

It's Grace telling Kelly that she told her Momma just last week that diabetes was a good thing in some ways, that she would have never met her, never gone to diabetes camp and never met her D friends, if she didn't have diabetes. And Kelly smiling at that.

It's a million of these things that happen when we are together, that I cannot replicate as a non-PWD, that make me love Kelly. She gives me strength, she gives Grace strength and she lets Grace feel communion with another soul who truly does 'get it.'

I knew that Kelly was missing Friends for Life, the Children with Diabetes conference in Orlando, Florida this week. I knew she missed the communion that she gets by going there. I know she missed her friends.

I also know that when PWDs attend Friends for Life, they wear green wristbands to identify themselves as people with diabetes. It's a badge of honor among them and a show of solidarity. I hear people keep them on long after the conference is done.

So I bought a little treat for both Kelly and Grace, to show that they are one, and indeed, friends for life.