For three days now, these beautiful flowers have been smiling back at me from beside my computer in my office. Their exquisite aroma fills the air, wafting through me every time I enter the room. They were given to me from my boyfriend Michael, simply because he wanted to show how much he loved our time away and to thank me for 'letting him be him'. I am blessed.
I am blessed with love, I am blessed with family and I am blessed with circumstance.
I find one of the best parts of visiting a new place, is discovering the city, its streets and ally ways. It's people, it's smells, it's sounds. When I was in Thailand, I loved taking in the city as we jumped from taxis to buses, tuk tuks, the subway, ferries, vans, the lot. But it didn't take long for me to wonder: What if I'd been born here with diabetes, to a struggling family on the streets and in the slums? How long would I have? Would I have died before I was even diagnosed?
At the Rotary International Convention, I stumbled across a booth tying two of my passions together: Rotary and Diabetes. The Rotarian Action Group for Diabetes aims to increase the awareness of diabetes, coordinate treatment and education of diabetes patients, and provide diabetic supplies to third world nations. What stood out to me most was the words written across the flyer they were handing out: 'No child should die from diabetes'. Simple and true. I am excited about discovering this group and hope that you will join me in visiting their facebook page and help them to make a difference.
While Australia still has along way to go in regards to advancements in Diabetes research and technologies, if I've got to have diabetes, then this isn't such a bad place to be! I am blessed to be living in the 'lucky country'.
I am also blessed to have such a loving and supportive family. Despite mum's recent diagnosis, I am still have been given a warning that she will soon be gone: a golden opportunity that many never receive. I have been given the chance to make sure I say everything I want to, everything I need to, to my mother. An opportunity to ensure we are at peace with each other and in a happy place. While her passing will be devastating, I will probably experience some my most cherished moments with her during this time, some of the closest, most raw and revealing.
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