So this week has been pretty blah! It's spring break and Piper and I have the week off from mother's day out. Yeah, it's rained every day so far. So Tuesday, I decided to take Piper to Barnes and Noble for some indoor playtime fun. Other than books, they've got a Thomas the Train table that she loves, a big "stage" where they do storytime (she just loves to walk around on it), and occasionally we get to meet other moms/kiddos and have some nice small talk.
Now, before we go much further here, those of you who do not know me should know how horrible I am about talking to strangers. I'm not great on meeting new people...not a good conversation starter...it's just very awkward and uncomfortable sometimes. So if you did not know this...I'm not a snob or a hater...just not sure what to do. So, of course, now that I'm in the "Mom Club", I feel obligated to talk to all these other moms at the park, store, etc and say how cute their kid is, ya know, the small talk. Usually once I get "reeled" in, I can keep going on a conversation, but the starting it is a struggle.
Back to Barnes and Noble...
Anywho...pretty much ever since Piper was handed the big fat D card, I've been slightly nervous about a stranger approaching me in public about her diabetes. I obviously don't hide the fact that she has it. We do glucose checks at the table in a restaurant/fast food and injections too for that matter. We are discreet about it...we're not just jamming this needle for all to see. And, to be honest, since Piper doesn't put on any kind of show when we do these things, people don't notice. In addition to the sugar check and injections, Piper also has a luggage tag with a big red cross on her diabetes bag that says "type 1 diabetes". I've just heard/read some horror stories of total strangers going off on parents about their childs' diabetes.
OK, seriously, back to Barnes and Noble...
I met a very nice woman who was there with her grandson, who Piper played with at the train table...very cute. We talked back and forth over the kids (she was obviously the conversation starter). We even discovered we go to the same church. I started to explain how I get to work at the church's mother's day out program and Piper gets to go to her own class and be around her friends. I finally explained the big blessing. With this job, I am able to work but also check Piper's sugars, give insulin, and be right down the hall if there is ever a problem. Praise God! I am so lucky to have this! She was very concerned and showed sympathy towards Piper's diabetes, but she was familiar with it since she worked in the school system for many years and had witnessed a student being diagnosed as well. It was like she knew enough to not need explaining or maybe she didn't ask more about it out of respect. Either way, I was so relieved! Another part of me feels like I'm not fully prepared with information to talk about Piper's diabetes (so I've got some homework to do).
Anywho--such a long post about something so silly! But this meant so much to me. I know that I will eventually come face to face with some random stranger accusing me of feeding her too much sugar and that's why she has diabetes or tell me that there is some crazy moss growing on a rock in Fiji that will cure my little girl. I'm just so grateful that it wasn't this time, my first time of telling a stranger about Piper's diabetes. God knows the little things count for this Momma!
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