Stefany Shaheen

As the holiday season draws to a close and we all move abruptly into the new decade, I find myself feeling particularly grateful for an unlikely and unexpected gift my family recently received.  At the end of 2009, my mother in her role as New Hampshire’s Junior United States Senator, passed a resolution in support of Diabetes Awareness Month.  Click here to download the complete Resolution supporting the observance of National Diabetes Month.  I qualify this as an unexpected gift – not because my mother’s support of people living with diabetes is surprising – quite the contrary.  This gift was unexpected for two very different reasons.

First, I was struck by the unlikely nature of this gift because a Resolution from the 1st Session of the 111th Congress of the United States it is not exactly a gift.  And it certainly is not something you expect to receive from your mother.  This time of year, mothers are often shopping for holiday presents in more conventional places for more customary gifts – a trip to the mall perhaps for a new watch or maybe a pair of earrings or a new sweater.

Second, receiving this news came as a surprise to me because I absolutely positively never imagined wanting this acknowledgement.  An acknowledgement that came in the form of a United States Senate Resolution officially stating that far too many people are living with diabetes and the disease can be devastating and costly on every level.  As you can imagine, I would much prefer the innocence that characterized my life before Elle was diagnosed.  Christmases of long ago, or before 2007, came complete with a more traditional wish list when what I wanted was a new pair of shoes or an ipod or someone to help me wrap presents.

I do, however, accept this as a gift – a gift that comes in the form of recognition.  For me, the passage of this Resolution was not the act of acknowledging Diabetes Awareness Month.  It was validation delivered in the form of an official declaration.  A statement that this is a tough sentence for every diabetic and his or her loved ones.  It was the reminder that we are not alone – that unfortunately millions of Americans are living with the same burden our family carries and Elle lives with every single minute of every single day at every mealtime and every snack time – ALL THE TIME.

While I never imagined I would find either my mother or myself to be in this unique position, I do feel grateful.  No, I never wanted this and I do question whether I even have the right to “accept” this as a “gift”.  As a declaration of support for our entire family when I am not the one sticking my fingers with a needle 10 times a day or having to force down yogurt in the middle of the night after having had a low blood sugar.  But I am with my daughter every step of the way on this journey – I guess I get this honestly.  As 2010 is upon us, somehow it seems right to consider this Resolution a gift and say thank you.  So…Thank you, Mom.

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