In this adventure called life, we thrive when we find our tribe. “Finding your tribe” is finding that group or niche where you feel you belong….people that “get” you and help you along the way, bumps and all. When I went to college (University of Georgia- Go Dawgs!), joining a sorority was the thing to do. I arrived not knowing anyone other than a friend (who became my best friend) that I met during orientation. Going through rush was a crazy experience, but when I got to the house that I would eventually pledge, I just knew it was the right place for me. I felt I belonged. It was not the house where I was a legacy. I’m thankful to this day that I made the choice that I did. I am still friends with my sisters after 30 years. In fact, each year, we meet up on Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia for 4 days of fun and reminiscing. Some years, it’s a time of healing. We have cried through divorces, deaths of family members, and changes in jobs. We have celebrated accomplishments, births, and marriages of children.. We were there for each other, through thick and thin. And that’s what Finding your Tribe is all about. It’s about finding that group of people that you can be real with. Being together grounds me and reminds me of a time of my life when everything was good, or seemed that way.
Along the way, you find that you don’t just belong to one tribe. This past summer, I attended “Children with Diabetes, Friends for Life” conference in Orlando for the first time. And, for the third time in my life, I found my tribe (the second was getting hired by American Airlines). At Friends for Life, I was surrounded by people of all ages that knew what it was like living with Type 1 diabetes. Everyone “GOT” it. The eye opener for me was the day everyone ended up at the pool and almost everyone there had a DEXCOM mounted on them. I FELT NORMAL for the first time in a long time. Nobody was staring or pointing or looking at me like I had cooties. It was freeing and exhilarating. For that reason alone, I will return to FFL every year. But, just so you. know, I learned a lot too. I highly recommend it for any Type 1 and their family.
So, my take away for you today is this……Find your tribe. Find that group where you feel good, where you’re supported and where you can be you.
Wishing you an awesome adventure!
#ADPi #Type1 #Type1Diabetes #FriendsforLife #ChildrenWithDiabetes #DiabetesAwarenessMonth #MakeDiabetesVisible #BeyondType1
For the fourth time, I will be running with Team JDRF at the Walt Disney World Marathon, raising money to fund the necessary research to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. If you would like to help me in my fundraising, here is the link to my donation page with JDRF….
team.jdrf.org just enter the name Julia Buckley for the “participant’, Thank you !!
Adventures of a T1 Traveler 