Diabetes helped me today

We have been building our “dream” house for the last five months and our contractor told me just the other day that we are about three weeks from being finished - yea! That great news got me off my butt and to the local home center to purchase the new appliances that we need.

Last Friday the first of those appliances arrived, our new washer and dryer.  I only had a few requests as we designed our new house and number one on my list wasn’t a game room or a man cave, I’m a stay-at-home dad... I wanted the laundry on the second floor.  I really don’t enjoy doing the laundry and carrying it all over the house just makes it worse.

Anyway, the second floor is done with the exception of carpets and the kitchen cabinets have been going in over the past few days.  This morning I arrived at the house to greet the contractor, in the morning I make sure that they have everything they need for the day, answer questions and say good morning.  

Here’s the part where diabetes helped me...

When I found Mike (one of the guys) he was on the second floor - cleaning up the water.  What water you ask??? The water that had run all over the second floor of our new house because the installer put one of the hoses on the back of our new washer incorrectly and it apparently had been dripping all weekend long.  

I helped him clean up the 15 or so gallons of water, excused myself and went to that home store to find the manager.  At the end of our conversation which by the way ended with the store committing to paying in full for the repairs, the manager said to me, “I really appreciate you being so calm about this”.  I paused for a moment and responded, “my six year old daughter has had type I diabetes since she was two years old, I know the difference between an annoyance and a something worth being upset about”.

There is no way that my reaction to having to rip up expensive hard wood floors and watching Mike cut a 20ft by 6ft hole in the ceiling of our new home would have been so measured if I didn’t have the knowledge and perspective that watching Arden live with type I has brought me.

In some strange way, I have type I diabetes to thank for my ability to shrug off stuff like this.  I’m not sure what would have to happen to rattle me at this point in my life - but this didn’t even come close to my worse day.

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Sarah Kelly

Isn't that the truth.  I whole heartedly agree that this is a one of those rare silver linings to the disease.  I find myself so much more calm about little things these days, usually realizing that so much is just that - a little thing and totally completely not important at all. Enjoy the holidays :)

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 - 06:07 PM