You Don't Know What You Have Until Its Gone

I know, that's kind of cliche.  But that doesn't mean its not true.

Let me tell you about some of the things that I have recently (well today mostly!) realized that I did not fully appreciate until they were gone.

My dishwasher.  Do you know how many dishes a family of 5 produces in one day?  I never really paid that much attention to it.  Just rinse, load, add soap, push a button or two...and Voila! clean dishes.  I have been going through these motions over and over (and over and over) again with my dear dishwasher for the past 10 years.  Never once did I say thank you, or even truly appreciate her hard work.  Until today.  She decided to go on strike!  :(  Can I just say that I hate washing dishes!  My hands are already so dry from the cold weather.  And those commercials that say "Tough on grease but soft on hands"...I don't think so!

My car.  Wow!  The miles that baby has carried us in 6 years.  I have appreciated some of the sweeter perks of my van over the years.  Once, when we were on vacation, we rented a mini-van.  It was then that I realized just how much I appreciated those automatic doors on our own van, you know the ones that close with just the touch of a button!  Love that!  But I have never really just appreciated the fact that I can get up and go whenever and wherever (almost!) that I want.  Tonight I went to pick Jessi up from an after school activity where I was left stranded in the parking lot because my car would not get up and go.  (Thank you to my dad for coming to our rescue so quickly - before we froze in the car!)

My husband!  Now I can't really say that I have never appreciated him (although I'm sure he'd love to argue that one :)  I appreciate a lot of things about my husband; and when he travels for work we all miss him.  But this week, I've realized how much of a team we make when it comes to managing Ally's diabetes.  Sure, I am home during the day, so I handle much of the regular routine of it.  But when it comes to making decisions about adjustments, or figuring out what is happening on a crazy day of numbers (like today!), it makes it so much more bearable when we can talk it through.  Much like the support I have found in the DOC, bouncing ideas off of one another gives us both confidence and helps us learn.  I don't see diabetes as the kind of subject that you cram for like we did in college for a chemistry test.  If that were the case, I'd be good at managing it.  There are so many facets to this challenge we were given.  And with each new food, or tummy bug, or physical activity, or growth spurt, or ... it is ever-changing.  Today, I realize how much I appreciate the team that my husband and I make!

I guess it is true, we don't truly appreciate the things that we have until we have to live without them.