Do you remember when you were diagnosed with diabetes? Did the world suddenly become a crazy disorienting dangerous place?
Or did you take the diagnosis in stride, leave the doctor or hospital thinking “I can do this” and learn in the coming weeks or years how perhaps incorrect that initial assumption really was?
Reading this article at Active.com today made me smile. What it takes to survive in the wild isn’t all that different from what it takes to survive living with diabetes!
I will paraphrase the article, although I do think it’s worth a read on its own. They say that a six year old survives better than an accomplished adventurer or wildlife expert, overall. (Shout out to the kids on this one!) Why?
A kid recognizes he or she is lost, and stays close to where they are, unlike an adult who keeps thinking they can find their way and keeps wandering… making it harder for rescue teams to find them!
A kid will rest when he or she is tired, drink when thirsty, and look for shelter when tired. These things seem like no-brainers, but honestly, now, when was the last time YOU took a nap when you were tired? By resting when tired, a child will be better able to reduce their stress and mental fatigue.
Think about the kids in your life who are living with diabetes. Do they ask for help? Do you think they recognize they need help when it comes to checking blood sugar or help with a low or taking insulin? (No fair to count teens in this category! Teens get their own category. And, for that matter, their own wilderness.)
Does a kid with diabetes sometimes say “I’m tired of this disease” or words like it? Do they ask a parent to take away their diabetes?
Six year olds can be so smart. (And adults can be so silly.)
Go kids!
