Why did the chicken cross the road?

Sometimes wisdom is found in what we already know.

Two months ago, my nine year old grandson was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes. The symptoms appeared suddenly. He went from an active kid who loved playing outside with his friends to one that constantly complained of being tired and thirsty. The diagnosis was overwhelming for the entire family. No wants to see a child sick. We educated ourselves and managed the situation the best way we knew how.

A week after he started daily insulin injections, he walked into the living room carrying a book he’d checked out of the school library that day. It was filled with his favorite dinosaur jokes. Within a few minutes he had everyone in the room laughing.

I come from a long line of book readers, so I wasn’t shocked when my grandson started reading in pre-k. But that day, as I looked at the way his eyes twinkled as he laughed, I knew he was going to be alright. Focusing on the things he loved was what my grandson needed. Laughing was his best medicine. His days are now filled with counting carbs, finger pokes, and needles, but he faces each challenge with a little fear and a lot of laughter.

We all get emails with jokes and funny sayings. I delete most of them. The others I keep in a file to remind me to laugh. I’ve included a few below. My wish is that one of them makes you smile today.

·         Six hundred shopping charts in the grocery store and I keep picking the one with the front wheel that likes to pirouette like a ballerina on speed.

·         The proper skirt length is at least two inches below your cellulite.

·         Here’s to every mother who’s ever eaten a candy bar in the closet because frankly she just didn’t want to share.

·         Like a good neighbor, stay over there.  (I have a friend who always says this to her dear husband)

·         Behind every nagging woman is a man not doing what he’s supposed to do.

Watching my brave grandson manage his diabetes reminds me to take a deep breath and have faith when I’m dealing with an overwhelming challenge. Just like the chicken has to cross the road to get to the other side, trouble always passes, even the kind that keeps us up at night worrying. It’s our attitudes that matter.