Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Guest Blogger: Nessa Dixon

Our most difficult task as a friend is to offer understanding when we don't understand. ~Robert Brault

I recently took a "time-out" to go visit my friend Joli in Arizona. I didn't have any of my own kids to take care of while I was there, so I spent a lot of the time either chatting with Joli or just watching her kids, seeing their personalities and how different and similar they are to my own kids. Laila is 6 but you'd never guess it. She looks younger, and acts so much older. The level of responsibility she has just blew me away. I can't get my 9 year old to remember to change his underwear and this tiny little girl checks her own blood sugar multiple times a day. She shyly asked if I would like to watch her change her pump site on Saturday morning and I sat there in amazement at how brave she is. I am so proud of her. She and her Mother for all they have been through since Laila's diagnosis. I used to babysit her back in 2007 when I was pregnant with Olivia. She was such a good kid, so mellow, didn't talk much just kind of, hung out with Audrey and I. She's still pretty similar, though she has her own younger siblings now. I can tell she just loves being a big sister.

As a Mom, I know I want everything for my kids. I don't want anything standing in their way. As hard as I may try, I will never understand just what Joli and Laila go through dealing with her diabetes, but I do know one thing... Laila will not be held back by it. I know it kills you as a parent to watch her struggle with it now, but I can tell by watching her the short time I was there, that she is so strong that she will beat this thing and it will not beat her.

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