The People In The Orange Hats

We raised about $6000 for JDRF this month.  We had many donors, and their concern for my daughter and for everyone else who lives with diabetes does my heart good. I'm optimistic about where those funds are going.  Great advances in diabetes treatment are coming down the line in the near future, and my daughter's life is going to get easier. 

But - and please don't tell the fundraising people at JDRF this- I'd be almost as happy about our walk if we'd raised only $600, or even $60. 

What particularly sticks with me this year is the feeling of support.  We had more walkers for our team than we've had for several years.  As is our tradition, each of our walkers wore an orange hat (my daughter's favorite color) with our team name on it.   At any given point, each of us could look forward or behind us, and most importantly next to us, and see orange hats worn by people who care about us. 

They were my daughter's friends who walk her to the nurse's office when she's low.  They were her friends' parents, who keep an extra eye out for my daughter when she's in their homes and who we're happy to count as our own friends too.  Family and great family friends rounded out the contingent of people who surrounded us for the morning.

There will be days in the coming year when diabetes throws us for a loop.  On those difficult days, it will do our hearts good to look back and remember Saturday's walk. Our friends and family won't be right next to us for the three juice box night, or the long endocrinologist appointment, or the stomach bug that turns into a diabetes nightmare, or the days we simply feel like we can't do one more site change or math out one more dinner plate.  But when I've reached the end of my diabetes rope, I intend to look back to our walk and to remember the people in the orange hats.