Reflections on 2010

I have started this post about five times with all the usual.  This year has just flown by...  We've seen a lot of changes this year...  The kids have reached so many milestones...

Of course all of these sound so cliche.  For anyone who knows me, I'm anything but.  I'm a go with the flow, not with the crowd type of person.  Now how to do a year in review post without sounding like the typical year in review.

Instead of going through the year's events, bragging about my children, I want to reflect on my feelings about the last year.  (Of course if you'd like me to brag, I can do that, too!)  This year has gone through all the emotions.  Joy, sadness, happiness, excitement, sorrow, humor... we've pretty much hit them all.  Even in our living room at this moment, we have the two teens laughing hysterically, #3 laughing at their antics, and #4 annoyed as they wake her up (though she's not tired and refuses to go upstairs before midnight).  The youngest is fully asleep, unaware of the goings on. 

Me?  I sit here reflective, thinking about how my children have grown.  Physically, academically, and emotionally.  Through their growing up, I also feel that I've grown.  Watching my children grow and plan out their futures help me to focus on my own as well.

As I've mentioned before, one of my goals is to be an advocate and educator about Type 2 diabetes.  There are so many misconceptions about Type 2.  As a  result, I feel it's my calling to help people understand more about diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes isn't a disease of old, lazy, over-eaters.  There are so many young and fit Type 2s.  It still strikes me that more people die from diabetes than breast cancer or AIDS combined.  How scary is that! 

One "regret" I have from this last year is that I have not been exercising as much as I would like.  It was put in quotes since I try not to have regrets about things in the past.  They are what they are.  There is no point in dwelling on them.  "Live and learn," right?  History is there to teach us about the past so we can learn from it.  In the next couple days I plan to learn from the challenges of the past to make my future even better.

As we get ready to say good-bye to 2010 and look forward to what 2011 has in store, I pray that God grants us what we need and maybe a few wants, with the wisdom to know the difference.  And may God also help us work together to find a cure for diabetes.