I started blogging for ASweetLife two years ago. Prior, I hadn’t really explored my diabetes in writing. It was the subject of a poem or two, but indirectly. Now that I’ve been writing about it on a consistent basis and exploring my feelings about my diabetes, I find that it has been therapeutic and eye-opening.
I’m proud of all of my posts for unique reasons, but a couple stick out to me more than the others. Particularly, the post that I wrote about how my mom and I deal with our diabetes is a favorite. It opened the door for my mom to feature a piece she wrote on my blog, which in turn gave me some insight as to how she feels about my diabetes. I was also grateful for the opportunity to express gratitude to my mom, dad, and other family members who have been instrumental in helping me manage my diabetes. I know that I don’t thank them enough for all they do for me, so it felt good to be able to do that in my writing, a mode of expression that I treasure deeply.
The posts that I wrote while I was in college also speak to me. They are more motivational in my eyes than some of the other posts I wrote because they are evidence of me overcoming some serious obstacles in my path while I was on my own at school. There was the time when I was freaking out over a low blood sugar before an exam, and the time I was forced to take a CGM hiatus. Oh, and I can’t forget all the times that hitting the gym on campus lead to either crushing defeat or joyful victory. Each post about my time in college reflects my resilience, which can be incredibly motivating for me to stick it to my diabetes.
And if I had to choose a favorite sentence(s) that I’ve written on my blog so far, it would have to be this introduction to my post about my vacation to Disney World last August:
“Once upon a time, a young woman named Molly was bound for the magical Disney World for a week’s worth of fun and frolicking. Her tale does not involve hallmarks like evil witches, poisonous apples, fairy godmothers, spontaneous singing, or charming woodland critters capable of human speech. Rather, it is a story about balancing diabetes while trying to make the most of a much-needed vacation with her handsome prince – erm, boyfriend.”
Why is it my favorite? Here’s the list of reasons:
- I got to flex my creative writing muscles with this post. I wrote it in the fashion of a satirical fairytale, and really enjoyed the writing process.
- It was a wonderful memory of an awesome vacation with my boyfriend and his family.
- It’s a wonderful memory associated with diabetes, proving it’s not all bad.
- It reminds me of the fun that’s to come – in roughly one week, I’m headed on a DISNEY CRUISE with my parents and my brother!
This reflection on favorites and motivations just goes to show me the power of writing and expression, which I love so much!
