Sometimes It's Not About Diabetes But It Always Is

My sweet girls are having the time of their lives during this fall season of golf.  Our oldest was blessed with conquering her challenging 'flop shot' and suddenly, her score dropped from low 90's to upper 70's.  (Side note: If you do not follow golf, getting rid of points means that you are doing great!) At the same, our youngest found herself placed in the number 2 position as a freshman on our varsity squad.  At 13 years old, she is competing with senior girls and holding her own, often besting her partners and pulling in top 10 rankings.  It is quite a fun moment for a parent to stand between greens and watch one daughter, then the next and feel nothing but joy as your children play with passion.  And did I mention that I really do not even play golf?  Yep, this is one skill that is not mom driven.

Last week, their hard work culminated in a team SEC Conference Championship - a first for their school in many, many years. On top of that, our oldest daughter was Low Medalist for not only the conference tournament but all of the tournaments combined - earning the most points in two divisions (Red and White).  Our youngest daughter proudly came in 5th over all, earning a medal too. The local newspaper took note and interviewed their coach, plus both girls. They also took a few pictures and marketed the article under 'Sister Rivalry', which of course made all of us laugh as never have two sisters been more opposite.  These two are best friends.

The conversation for the interview focused entirely on their golf game.  Readers wanted to know how they got their start, why they chose golf and how it has helped them to learn other skills.  Besides a random picture that cleared showed their Dexcom and infusion sites, there was no mention of golf.

And that was fine.  Sometimes it is not about T1D. 

As soon as the article hit the newstand, I happily 'shared' on a few social media pages amongst relatives and close friends.  With a hearty congratulations from all, there was also confusion as to why T1D wasn't mentioned.  After all, playing 5-6 hour long golf tournaments requires a deep dedication to staying on top of blood sugar management.  One living with T1D can't just forget about the highs and lows despite an activity or event.  Our JDRF Outreach Chair even sent me an email and said while she loved seeing the girls in the paper, she just wished dearly that there was a mention of T1D to inspire other young athletes and parents.

Talking to the girls, I asked how they felt and if they wanted to share that part of their victory; the part of managing the game of T1D.  Without hesitation, they whole-heartily agreed and said they would share with anyone at anytime as it was just as important to know that anything was possible while living with T1D as it was to do their very best at golf.  As my youngest said, "Your dreams don't have to stop because of diagnosis.  I dream all of the time!"  Her sister chimed in and said, "And look at our dreams coming true." They felt so strongly about ensuring that T1D was present and acknowledged for others as this summer, they became involved with the Diabetes Sports Project to showcase how golf and T1D can work well together.  As the only female golfers, they take this role seriously. It's hard enough to get girls involved with golf, but throw T1D into the mix and for many, it can be overwhelming.  Sharing their success will hopefully overcome both issues.  

This week, a second article will be published in which the focus is not only their amazing golf skills, but their efforts toward T1D management, their dedication to the T1D community and what they hope to accomplish as they grow older.

I can't wait to share it with you all as positivity and inspiration is contagious.  Even I feel reinvigorated with T1D care.  It's hard to manage from the fringe. This little boost has helped me too, even though I didn't think I was overly focusing on it.  As a mom though, it's hard not to.  In the deep space of my brain, it is always there.  See, sometimes it's not about the T1D, but it always is.





* To read the article about the SEC Championship, check out this link!
**To learn more about The Diabetes Sports Project and their Champions, including our NaturallySweetSisters, check out this link!