I tried to make this week all about motivation but I changed my mind a bit this morning. I was paging through a book I have about raising kids’ self esteem and thought about how motivational tips and tricks end up meaning nothing if you don’t celebrate your hard work and resulting accomplishments along the way.
I’m serious. If it means dressing up and going to a fancy dinner, or getting a pedicure, or opening that bottle of wine you’ve been saving, even if it means raising your glass of ice water at lunch, recognize and celebrate as many accomplishments as possible.
What do you have to lose?
I can’t go so far as to say every kindergartener needs a 2-hour graduation ceremony at school, but I will say they most assuredly need one in their family room. (Cap and gown optional, but seriously fun!)
Nowhere is this more important than when you live with someone with diabetes, or if you have diabetes yourself. Diabetes, type one or type two, requires such constant and unflagging vigilance with so few measurable “rewards” we must create them for ourselves and our loved ones.
First time your child has given himself a shot? First time your child checked her own blood glucose? Three in-range numbers in a row? Five whole days of workouts this week? CELEBRATE.
Clearly, the celebration here is not the motivation. But let me assure you, when you watch a young one race around the dining hall at camp collecting high fives for that first shot in his abdomen or first time drawing up her own insulin, you see how much JOY and PRIDE they place in accomplishing these soon-to-be-daily routines. They know diabetes is a big deal, no matter how you slice it. Give them some credit for knowing the seriousness of their disease in everyday life, and celebrate to recognize their hard work.
Living with diabetes is difficult in its simultaneous unpredictability and pervasiveness in our lives. That’s simply the nature of the disease and NO ONE IS TO BLAME for it. We don’t get any satisfaction from finding someone to blame someone for it, but we get to deal with it on our shoulders all the time. So take a break from the difficulties when you can recognize a milestone for yourself or for your child or for your friend and celebrate that accomplishment.
When we stop the flow of life to ring the bell and announce a special moment for all to savor, not only do we deepen our awareness and appreciation of life, but we publicly proclaim the place and accomplishments of those we are celebrating. (Will Glennon, 200 Ways to Raise a Girl’s Self-Esteem)
We don’t have much of a choice when it comes to living with either type of diabetes. (Do it or die doesn’t seem like a choice to me.) But we can chose how we deal with making it through a rough spot or a change in management or a goal accomplished.
I choose to celebrate as much as possible. Celebrate!
