Happy Mindful Monday! Below we highlight a beautiful poem by Liezel Graham who has a son living with type 1 diabetes.

In my fridge,
in the shelf that is designed
to hold cheese,

there are vials of hope,
and an emergency kit
in bright orange,

remember, remember 
in case you forget
how to breathe,

with pre-filled hormone,

so that when my fingers 
fumble with fear
I have a needle 
ready
to plunge deep into muscle,

to bring you back
if you should ever slip
too far away 
from me.

I keep nocturnal vigils with foxes
and
other moon mothers 
who have to keep on keeping on,

until 
the 
day 
breaks
fresh
hope
over
me,

and how tired can a mother
be and still breathe?

I punch a calculator in my head 
with every meal, 
and
I sing songs of

no, you cannot eat that now
and please, 
you must drink this now, 
or else…

and in this home we know needles, and

we
know
fear,

and we are the ones with 
a yellow sharps container
on our kitchen counter
where 
others 
have no such things, and

we are intimately familiar 
with the fear 
that 
can 
slip 
into 
a word,

hypo
hyper
ketones
coma
death.

but, I also know this hope that lives in delicate glass vials,
where every drop
holds life

yours,

and also my heart, and

I promise you 
that cells might forget
how to keep
you alive,

but I will not forget,
or
give up,

ever.

and
for you, 
and for life,
I am grateful.

— on mothering diabetes.

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