Mothers and fathers are so different.
When a child has a bike accident, the mother puts a band-aid on the scrape and kisses it. The father heads out to the garage and fixes the brakes on the bike.
When the child strikes out at a baseball game, the mom says “Good try!”, but the dad tells him “You gotta rotate your hips a little more on the inside pitches”.
Dad’s just want to fix things.
That’s what makes diabetes so tough for dads. There is no fix. So you pour yourself into the formulas and calculations and all the best technology solutions and everything you can possibly do to make it better. And it is a tough and frustrating endeavor.
There is a tremendous group of fathers on this forum. Loving and dedicated and committed to helping their young one in the best way possible. I see it every day on this site.
Dads,
Do not despair with individual days. Diabetes is never a sprint, it is an endurance event. Prepare yourself for the long haul. Teach persistence and patience. Those things will be a tremendous benefit for your young one.
Take care of yourself. Eat right, get exercise, sleep more. Your young one needs you for the duration.
Take heart in realizing everything you do will be known. Maybe not now, but at some point. Your child will appreciate what you did for them every day.
I remember my dad made something for me when I was 5. Back then syringes were basically a one-size-fits-all proposition. I was using a giant harpoon of a syringe. So my dad made a re-useable plastic collar that fit over the syringe, that reduced the injection depth of the syringe. I didn’t fully understand it or appreciate it when I was 5, but I certainly appreciate it now.
That’s just what dads do - they fix things.
Take heart in knowing everything you do today will one day be appreciated. And know deep down, the best fix you can possibly give them right now is just teaching them that you never, ever give up.
You never, ever give up, and neither will they. Teach them that.
You are all a great group. Happy Father’s Day and blessings to you all.
