Maybe My Pancreas Needs A Good Scare

I think that I have written about the metamorphosis of my youngest daughter.

When she was diagnosed immediately after her 3rd birthday, she was a pale, tiny, frail and scared little girl.  The length of her sickness combined with her week long stay in the hospital resonated profoundly in her self-image.  The only place she felt entirely comfortable was when she was near me - a position that I savoured dearly but also worried about.

Each year, she grew a little bit more independent and a lot more self-confident.  In fact, by 2nd grade, she was actually participating in the classroom, raising her hand and voicing interesting opinions, albeit very quietly.

As months went on, she started taking on more creative endeavors like dancing in ballet and tap, singing and drawing.  Her take on the world at large blossomed and I often found myself listening to her in part awe and part amusement.  She is the rare combination of a dreamer AND a doer. 

After a while, I came to the conclusion that all of those "quiet years" were just a ruse for what she was really like.... a silly, sweet and often wise beyond her years kid. 

So it was of no surprise that she came up with the best 'cure diabetes' idea, ever to be thought of. 

I looked over just in time to see her say, "BOO!" to her belly and then pause and fall into a hail of giggles.  She repeated herself and started laughing even harder.

When I asked her what she was doing, she told me this....

"I am trying to scare my pancreas so it will pee insulin!", she said laughing with complete and pure amusement!

I cocked my head to one side and debated what to say as she continued to giggle... but who knows, maybe this crazy little idea will one day lead to something bigger and better...  so who am I to be the voice of dissension?

So instead I said, " Great idea!  And did you know that Thomas Edison, the man who invented the light bulb said this?"

“I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”

I told her to count this as one.