DECEMBER 2011

I have lived with type 1 diabetes in my body for almost 50 years. Over the years I have explored and experimented with ways and means to help myself live a healthy, productive, creative, joyful, and spiritually fulfilling life, in spite of diabetes. I experience an inner body parent/child relationship with my diabetes where diabetes is like having a child with specific needs that must always be taken care of. You have to test it, feed it, give it insulin and other hormone replacements, keep it clean and healthy, take care of it when it gets sick, bring it to the doctor for healthy check-ups and when it needs a tune-up as it ages. You have to make conscious choices and conscientious decisions 24/7 that the body with diabetes isn't capable of doing by itself. You must take on the function to think and act as beta cells would think and act. Isn't that what a loving and responsible parent or caretaker would do for their child or loved one who isn't capable of doing that for themselves?

I consider myself to be a "wise woman of diabetes" because of the lessons of life diabetes has taught me. It is not always easy, but I have learned to care for myself and to live, love and laugh through the ups and downs of living with diabetes. I appreciate the precious gift of Life and I am not afraid to die when my time comes. Diabetes has taught me that I am a spiritual being having a human life experience on Earth. I pray and communicate with God every day and, in those moments when I remember my spiritual self, I recognize that God, the Creator Source, is the Life Giver in every instant and in every situation. So daily I ask the Ultimate Source of Life and Light (God) to fill my body with life substance from the food I eat, the water I drink, the air I breathe, the sunlight that bestows light into my cells, and for guidance and strength to carry on as a woman of diabetes in this lifetime. As a woman of diabetes, I cannot forget for one instant that I am a women living with diabetes. I refer to it as "diabetes consciousness".

My passion and greatest joy is to serve as an agent of change to assist others to awaken to the innate healing of the Divine Presence that sustains and heals each and every one of us in all of creation. My own path of awakening and healing was facilitated through body awareness and the joy of movement and dance, and through meaningful diabetes self-care education. Along the way, some of the greatest diabetes self-care educator/teachers I have encountered are other women living with diabetes.

In this seasonal time of the year we, as a people, celebrate thanksgiving and the holidays commemorating the gifts of Light. I give thanks for the gifts of nature that give me food to eat and water to drink and cleanse myself. I give thanks for shelter, shoes and clothing to keep me safe and warm. I give thanks for the blessings of loving family and friends and the wonderful opportunities that I have been given to live and enjoy an interesting and fulfilling life. Most of all I give thanks for the gift of diabetes, which has blessed me with the gift of conscious awareness that there is more to life than what is apparent, and that Light and Life exists with and beyond diabetes.

Volunteer of the Month:

Emily James

Emily James with her grandmother - both living well with diabetes!

Emily joined the DiabetesSisters team in May as the Expert Team Manager. In this role she works closely with our professional contributors to bring DiabetesSisters members valuable information and support in the areas of nutrition, emotional wellbeing, diabetes education, legal matters and physical health.

Emily was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes over 10 years ago. Her grandmother (pictured above) has type 2 and has supported Emily in her journey with diabetes over the years. Right after moving to Raleigh for graduate school, Emily learned about DiabetesSisters and was eager to become involved and work closely with our professional team to ensure all members enjoy their expertise and content on a regular basis.

Emily earned a BS in Exercise Science and is currently working towards a MS in Nutrition at Meredith College. She hopes to earn her CDE and continue to inspire and support others with diabetes as she currently does with DiabetesSisters.