Guest Post: Walk Beside Me & Be My Friend.

Today's guest post is brought to you by the letter "P," as in Pam from Wicked Sweet. I've known Pam for a very long time but hadn't seen or spoken to her since "The MTV" actually played music videos~

Anyway, we reconnected last December when Kerri mentioned me in one of her posts. I know, SMALL FREAKING WORLD! Thanks Kerri!

Pam is articulate; bright, funny, and a mother of 3 - including, a child with diabetes. Her daughter Grace was diagnosed about 17 months ago and is doing great!

Pam recently began blogging and she's a fantastic writer. The blog is called Wicked Sweet and it's "wickedly" funny, smart, and from the heart - Just like her! CHECK IT OUT!

Thanks for the wonderful post my friend!

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Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.

Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.

Just walk beside me and be my friend.

A friend, to me, is someone who's chosen to walk this path with me, side by side. To prop me up when I need help, to listen when I need to talk, and to tell me when I've gone off the deep end. And the key is to know the difference. That's who I try to be for others, and that's who I look for in a friend.

I don't have a ton of friends. I'm very picky with who I let into my life. I have a small group of women whom I rely on tremendously.

I'm closer to my two sisters than to anyone else in the world, other than my husband. They are my best friends. They love me in good times and bad. One even came up from New Jersey to support me when Grace was first diagnosed and in the hospital. Do they ever tell me I might be heading in the wrong direction? No, but I'll let them slide because they're family.

Since Grace's diagnosis, I have one friend who has totally stepped up to the diabetes plate. She's learned how to give Grace injections, check her blood sugar, and now knows how to count carbs and bolus through the pump. She's eager to learn more so she can be of more help to me. She even took all three of my children on a sleepover to her mother's farm so my husband and I could get a precious 24 hours alone. And she did great! My kids got to feed the pig and chickens, collect fresh eggs and climb on the construction trucks all while Grace was kept completely in range. The best part about that weekend was that my friend and husband forced me to do it. I didn't want to. How was I expected to leave Grace in the care of someone else? My naturally pragmatic (read "pessimistic") mind thought of all that could go wrong, and why it was a bad idea. But they sat me down, and made me see that 24 hours away from the kids was desperately needed, and I'd only be a phone call away in case of any problems. I felt totally secure and relaxed, knowing that Grace was in good hands. I had a great time!

I have other friends who mean the world to me, but no others who walk this diabetes path with me. Now I've met lots of new friends in the DOC. True, they are cyber-friends, but every one of them fits my friend requirements to a tee. They prop, they listen, and they remind me every day that I'm not alone.

Grace's diagnosis has made me see the value of good friends. I've always felt vulnerable when needing to ask for help, but now I'd like to think that's changed. I've learned that I can't do it all myself, and that, in fact, I don't need to. No one can take care of my daughter like I can, but I realize that when I need to recharge and refocus, I have a few friends who can help me along the way.