Friends 4 Life

Sugarboy was dxd in Feb of 2007. During the week post diagnoses during my nightly searches for information about Type 1 diabetes I found the  Children With Diabetes website and a link to the Annual  Friends 4 Life conference held in Orlando each July. I didn't hesitate to register our family for the conference in July - finances be damned we were going to go.

It was by far the best experience ever. So wonderful that we returned for 2008 and 2009. I met some of the most amazing people during those trips including the DOCs very own Bennet (who I may or  may not have shared drinks with next to the pool at Disney's Coronado Springs resort) not knowing what a great man I was visiting with at the time.

The breakout sessions were all fabulous - one of my favorites was always Joe Solowiejczyk - the man is simply hilarious. The food, exhibits, and events were all equally amazing. However the thing about FFL is the connections. Being surrounded by 4000 of my closest friends (simply because they KNOW) is what makes FFL so wonderful.

Due to finances and schedules our family was unable to attend FFL in 2010 and 2011. We have been diligently planning to attend the 2012 FFL come hell or high water (remind me to look up where that phrase came from). But here we are in the midst of selling our home in TX buying a home in CA and of course the big move. The idea of being able to attend FFL is feeling more and more hopeless. With hubby working a new job and all the house crud I don't see how we will pull it off. It is making me sad - which in its self sad since I spent the morning feeling so blessed to have met (albeit via cyberspace) so many amazing pwd and parents of cwd. I think the combination of feeling so blessed combined with the knowledge that many of those same peeps will be in one place at the same time (FFL) and I likely won't be - is what is likely bringing me down.



Maybe keep your fingers crossed for us that we get an early offer on our home and can relax a bit and take a break to visit some friends all 4K of them (maybe sneak in a visit to Harry Potter World too). I won't ask for prayers since this is not prayer worthy but crossing a couple fingers seems fitting.


Again - not whining - just hoping - still recognizing how blessed we are as a family and if not attending a conference in Orlando is my biggest woe than life has treated me better than well.