Dearest D,

Day 2 of D-blog Week asks that we write a letter -- and this is my letter to Diabetes itself:

Dear Diabetes:
Well, you finally got me. You've been stalking me for years while I have hidden from you, taunted you, resented you and downright hated you. You've caught my family, friends and now me. You tormented my mother and made her final years ones of pain and distress.
I hate when people say, "I am a diabetic".  While I may have you, I AM NOT YOU AND YOU ARE NOT ME. I refused to be defined by you. 
Now that I've got the anger out there, now what?  What do I do with you?  How I live with you since I apparently can't live without you? 
There is growing usage in business and in life of 'coaches' -- you know, personal trainers, gurus, executive coaches, life coaches, etc.  I'm not totally sure about reasons for this phenomenon.  Does it reflect the complexity of modern life?  The demise of large families where advice and counsel is readily available from people who know and love you?   A true desire for self-improvement or just narcissism?
I don't have a coach per se, but a former colleague of mine makes his living as an author, sports performance coach and professional speaker.    His name is Dr. Kevin Elko and you can link to his website from the links on this blog.  We talk periodically and I follow his work. 
Kevin's advice is always that one must live, not from circumstances, but from vision.  So, how do I live from vision, with you?  It has occurred to me that you are not all bad (did I really just write that?).  You have forced me to confront reality, to deal with numbers I would rather not even think about, to find more compassion for others and for myself.  You humble me, hold me accountable, make me think, and are leading me, kicking and screaming, into a lifestyle that is more about balance -- physical, mental and spiritual.  You have brought me closer to family members and a deeper understanding of my mother, whose struggle I have written about in other blog posts. 
Yes I hate having you, but you are making me better and my life's journey richer. 

Yours truly,
Rosanne