Tune-up My Attitude
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” -Viktor Frankl (psychiatrist, Nazi death camp survivor)from Michelle:
I have to admit, sometimes I get to a place where I feel sorry for myself, feel sorry for my family that WE have to live with the diabetes dragon. Sometimes I look around at other families and think: They have it so easy. They don’t have to count carbs, they don’t have to pack low-carb food, high carb food, low treatments, glucose monitor, extra insulin and syringes… just to go out for the afternoon. They don’t have to hear their kids cry at getting poked and injected. Poor us, we do!
But sometimes I have to take a closer look at “them”. I have met parents who are dealing with other illnesses, their own or one of their children’s – some of these are terminal illnesses; some families have little social support, making even so-called minor problems a major issue to deal with; some families cope with depression, anxiety, substance abuse; some marriages are strained and stretched to the limit; some kids have behaviour issues, or learning difficulties, or social barriers. The point is, everyone has something.
My nephew, Stephen, shared a post the other day: Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind.
It stuck with me. Because while I’m feeling sorry for the battles our family is fighting, I am hardened to the fact that EVERY OTHER FAMILY IS FIGHTING A BATTLE, TOO. Diabetes happens to be ours. It is no better/no worse, no easier/no harder than anyone else’s battle. But it is ours, so my challenge is to learn to cope with it, to put it in its place, to not let it ruin us.
So rather than feeling self-pity, when I get to that place again (and, chances are, some day I will) I need to tune-up my attitude. I need to align myself yet again with Viktor Frankl’s perspective, gleaned from his battle to not just physically, but mentally, survive the Nazi death camps, that “the last of human freedoms” is the ability to “choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.” (emphasis mine)
What do you do to “tune up” your attitude when you’re feeling beat down by diabetes, or by life?
Waltzing the Dragon 
Love this post! It’s so true that it’s easy to feel sorry for yourself and think you are the only one that has to endure hardship. You’re right though in saying that other people do as well, it just might not be as noticable. Good time of the year to reflect on how many things we have to be thankful for and in the process, give our attitudes a “tune up”.
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Thanks, Levinia! I agree focusing on what I’m thankful for is key.
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I accept that some days, normally a few hours, I will feel some self pity when diabetes has forced us to alter plans, or has us feeling like it has the upper hand. I acknowledge that this is part of me grieving, we talk about it, appreciate what we learn from this and move on. I think being empathetic to others and realizing we are not alone, even if our struggles are different, helps.
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Well said – it’s important to allow ourselves to grieve, and to honour the loss. And then move on before the grief sucks us in.
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Sometime when our family is going through a tough stretch due to diabetes or anything else, we like to have a day where we just do something fun for the sense of fun. It’s easy to focus on the what, when and how we are going to get put of a not great situation. By having a day or afternoon where we do something that just lifts our spirits, play toys, go out for ice cream as a family etc we can re focus on what’s important, our family and what’s good in the world.
Thanks for the blog, dance instructors! I feel like waltzing again!
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Ice cream DOES make everything better! Mocha almond fudge therapy is my favourite… Mmmmmm. 🙂
(Thank YOU for the support!)
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