Hard Reality Makes You Stronger

When I was 11 years old, I was diagnosed with this disease. I was pushed into an unknown world, where life suddenly became less light than it used to be. I was pushed to grow and mature at an incredibly high speed to learn my new reality. And, for those who are wondering right now, no, it is not because I ate too much candy; it is far from that.  

 

At first, people looked with a lot of pity and compassion, but with time, those looks faded away. My family and friends started to restart their lives as if nothing had happened, and I felt great about that, since people were not treating me like I was different.  

 

Over the years, I had many questions and thoughts about my reality, which I always responded to with care and love, as I appreciated that people would take the time to learn more about me. However, in all those conversations I had, one sentence kept coming back: “You won’t be able to deal with it.” This sentence used to enrage me, and I always wanted to answer: “Oh yeah? And you would let yourself die?” But why would I do that? People didn’t know what they were talking about.  

 

So here is what I want you to take away from my experience. Life is not always fair, and you cannot control what other people think or say. However, one thing that will happen when you face situations with no exit is that your true character will emerge. Pushing yourself to your limits and beyond will make you find a person you had no clue existed. Embracing challenge is the best gift you can give to yourself.  

 

Don’t get me wrong, life is not full of unicorns and rainbows, but there is always a way to find the positive. Having diabetes is a battle every day, every minute, every meal, every snack, but one thing I know is that I am a way stronger person than if I didn’t have this disease. A small part of me is grateful and appreciative for the challenge life has sent me, and for sure, there is a part of me that hates it. I would do anything to have a pancreas that works, but until science figures that out, I try to smile and find the positive side of all of that. Some days are easier than others, but even on dark days, we can rise.