Her plans are big-hearted. Her heart runneth over with love, emotion, and the desire to help others. She is sweet. She is sensitive. She is animated. She can hit a pitch with her piercing screech that makes me want to birth a porcupine (thanks Elizabeth from Pieces Of My Life for a term I wish I came up with) rather than listen to it for one second longer.
Her ideas fly off of her tongue in rapid succession...one after another... barely a breath in between... her ideas to help Cure Diabetes... her ideas to help the Haitian children... her ideas to provide food to the hungry... her ideas to comfort children in the hospital. She is Bridget. She is my daughter. She is my first born. She is Joe's sister.
Sherry from Jenna's Pet Monkey and Alexis from Justice's Misbehaving Pancreas declared November 28th "Special Sib of a D Kid Day"! I am a little "tardy to the party" on this one. I apologize. I have some great Bridget posts and I am always wanting to share more about this amazing creature that has graced my life since August 8, 2001.
The Staple Story...
Her dreams and goals and desires are huge! Help the Haitian kids! Sure she is on it. Never mind that her idea, a good and kind-hearted one, had some flaws. She wanted to ship over a bunch of homemade pillows. She had started making them with 12inch squares of fabric that she stuffed and then proceeded...unbeknownst to me... to staple them together. Yes, I said "staple". So, great plan. However, the mechanics of the plan... you know, the "staple part", not so much. When she proudly displayed her finished "stapled" pillow product to me, I had to stifle my laughter. Can you just imagine those poor children laying their sweet heads down on these small staple-laden pillows? OUCH. Or, I was envisioning the Haitian kids waking up from their restful night with pillows hanging from their heads, as the staples would most likely become entangled in their hair while they slumbered. So, let's just say a sewing machine is on Bridget's wish list for Christmas this year.
Then there is the Pickle Jar on the Scooter incident...
How to even begin ... how has this life affected her? changed her? She is a willing participant in Joe's care, always desiring to learn more: how to check Joe's blood sugar number, how to bolus, how to carb count. She takes notes on his numbers, transcribes the "Diabetes" section of the World Book Encyclopedia into her polka dot notebook, and diligently studies the Calorie King. She once taped a glass pickle jar to her scooter and went door-to-door, again...unbeknownst to me, collecting money from neighbors for diabetes research...a sign asking "Please help us find a cure for Type 1" secured to her handle bars. I explained that a glass jar taped to the scooter that was cruising up and down the 'hood, over uneven cement pavement, was perhaps a dangerous choice for obvious reasons So, that ended that round of fundraising for her. This was no matter. You see, she has a whole list of back-up ideas and plans: selling tattoos, a lemonade stand, coins for a cure, cans for a cure...and on...and on.
This disease has had an impact on each of us...perhaps on Bridget most of all. The guilt weighs on me as a parent, it is heavy, it takes its toll. It hurts to be unable to shield her from the unfairness of the attention Joe receives with the day-in, day-out, hour-to-hour care and vigilance that type 1 demands of us...demands of us as a family. I know it is what it is. This is our journey, our story and it is meant to be. I hope we, as our story unfolds, as it progresses, and in the end...are the better for it...especially Bridget.
A day-in-the-life of celebrating my girl!
Other Bridget Posts:
19 comments:
She sounds wonderful Reyna and so unique and so truly herself!
Brought tears to my eyes. She just sounds amazing and I'm guessing just a little like her mama. Good kids come from good parents!!
O.K. Wow! That porcupine thing....now that I have recovered from that visual, I can focus on the rest of the post. This is a great post. I love Bridget. She seriously is one of the most compassionate children I know and I am imagining this is in great part due to "D". So, while you feel guilt about the situation she is in, think too about the amazing lessons it teaches her - and thus her friends - every day. She is going to grow up to be a strong woman because of her situation and that's an amazing gift. Perhaps even more than that, think of the bond your children share. I can't think of something the brings a brother and sister closer than a shared interest in managing care and living each day!
You have raised a SPECTACULAR GIRL! What a treasure and blessing she must be to you! Once again, little Miss Reyna, you have managed to bring this old gal to laughter and tears ALL AT THE SAME TIME ... What a WONDERFUL way to start my day! THANK YOU!
She sounds like a blast... love her sweet spirit and fire to get things DONE! We need more Bridgets in this world.
Ahhhhh!! Maddison and Bridget would be best of friends, they sound JUST alike! You should be proud! Did I ever tell you I LOVE your descriptive words in every post? You make me smile, every single morning! ((HUGS))
I swear, Reyna, I'm falling in love with your kids over the computer! They just sound so fantastic every time you tell stories about them. What an amazing little girl your Bridget must be! It's no wonder with the absolutely fantastic mommy she has!
Love her! Stapled pillows...that is good stuff!!! So sweet.
Go Bridget! Happy Birthday too to Joe's Dad for tomorrow - a little bird told me!!
What an amazing giirl! Thank u for sharing. And tell her id totally buy a tat!
We love Bridget :) I think her and Connor would have an awesome time together. He would be the perfect assistant to her wonderful plans!!
I love her big hearted little self! She's awesome! And she can be at my door with a pickle jar and a stapled pillow any day!
Love the stapled pillow story. So utterly unique. Wonder if that would set off any alarms through security checks when it was being shipped...hmm?! What a hoot she is and sounds like such a joy, too.
Bridget sounds awesome. She sounds a lot like Marty, great idea but there always seems to be a "but". Gotta love the enthusiasm she has to help others. Very selfless girl, that one.
Love to the Bridgy Bear
this made me teary. LOVE her!
I love your story! She sounds like quite the little spit-fire!
I love that girl of yours and I have never even met her in person. GO BRIDGET!
Bridget is a very special young lady, she makes all of our lives very special to have her be part of them. Love, Hugs and Kisses, G-ma
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