Wednesday, September 22, 2010

"Chi, Chi, Chi, CHIABETIC"

Fantastical friends

So I was having drinks with one of my best and fantastical friends, Mark H on a night not so very long ago.

Back-story: Mark and I met on the first day of 6th grade (our desks faced one another) and we’ve been friends ever since. We went to middle school, high school (yes, he was my Jr. Prom date) and college.

Mark knows everything about me - the good, the bad, & the diabetesalicousness of it all. He’s been with me through all the triumphs and the tears, and he loves me no matter what.

And I will love him for as long as I live.

I couldn’t ask for a better friend. And before you ask why don’t we get married, Mark has a fantastic partner named Ron who I love and adore!

And honestly, I've never looked at him in that way - THANK GOD!

No, I love Mark, but I'm not "in love" with Mark.

Anyway, over drinks (Mark was drinking a dirty martini & I was nursing a Bloody Mary) we were talking about my blog, life with diabetes, and growing up with diabetes.

Mark is one of my memory keepers. He remembers me as the 6th grader with diabetes, the teenager with diabetes who had her share of issues, and the college student with diabetes who fought hard to be perceived as normal.

Mark had patience with my sister Debbie, especially when mine ran out. He’d make her laugh, include her in moments that I was being selfish about, and in the end, he loaded up her wheelchair to the local mall and the two of them got in all sorts of trouble.

When Debbie died, Mark spent the whole day & night of her funeral with me. He and the rest of my friends took me to a bar and we all cried, laughed, & requested & sang songs in her honor.

Free drinks for our group were lining up at the bar and it was long night for all of us.

Afterwards, Mark took me home and watched me as I slept. The next morning I woke up with a stale 1/2 of PB&J next to me, because Mark was afraid my blood sugar would go low in the middle of the night.

A few weeks later, Mark booked and paid for a spring break trip for us to Cancun.

“You can pay me later – you need a vacation.” And he was right, I did – we both did.

Nowadays, Mark is a mover and shaker in NYC, & he’s still one of my best friends.

The other night as we sat at the bar, eating apps, having drinks and talking about life, I was once again reminded of what a wonderful friend I had in him.

But before I could get all sappy, Mark said the following:

Mark: One of the things I love about your blog is that you have the perspective of growing up as a chiabetic, which I think…

Me: Chiabetic??!! Child + diabetic = chiabetic - I LOVE THAT MARK!!!

And then I started singing the theme to the chia-pet commercial except I sang: Chi, chi, chi, chiabetic!"

Mark: What? I meant to say child diabetic.

Me: CHIABETIC IS GREAT AND I’M TOTALLY STEALING IT!

Mark: Go for kitten- it’s yours!

And so I did~

Thanks Marky!

17 comments:

George said...

Well after seeing the title of this post I never thought I would be crying while reading it.

Mark sounds like a great guy and a great friend.

I love Chiabetic. I always tell people that if I had a ranch I would have only Chia pets on it and shear them for their sprouts. Yum!

SarahK said...

AWWW! Chiabetic! LOVE IT!!!!!!

Scott S said...

I wonder what a Chia Betic would look like? I'm envisioning a terra cotta K2 with syringes, lancets and whatnot and the cheezy commercial tagline "Ch-ch-ch-chia" comes to mind, but I'm sure Mark meant it differently!

Anonymous said...

^^
Mark truly sounds like a great friend!

Did your diabetes ever stop you from going to events? (e.g. you don't want go out dancing (or something) because of the fact you have to carry your heavy bag filled with diabetic stuff, food and drinks with you)

k2 said...

G-
mark is a great guy/friend & I can't wait until u get your Chia-ranch!

Sugarbetic
YAY!

Scott:
My chiabetic would be wearing a pump!

Rocking Doll -
My diabetes doesn't stop me from anything & I love to go out dancing!
My handbag isn't heavier than anyone elses. I wear my insulin pump & carry my meter, spare infusion set, battery and larabars in my bag!

Unknown said...

I heart Mark!!!!

Beautiful post....I'm raising a Chiabetic!

Cool.

Bennet said...

Yeah Mark.

LY/MI

Stacy said...

I'll have to YouTube a Chia pet commercial and tell my daughter she's a chiabetic - I love it! Thanks, Mark!

Sunny said...

Friends like Mark are to be cherished. I never had one like that. They are rare people

Anonymous said...

So fantastic - CHIABETIC! Yes, my eyes are a little watery, too, even as my face is lit up with a smile and laugh as that song plays on and on and on and on in my head...

LaLa said...

HAHA - loving me some Mark!!
I have a chiabetic. It's so hip these days!! :)

Penny said...

Oh what a fantastical friend you have in Mark!
LOVE the Chiabetic!

Meri said...

(Standing up!)

"Hello, my name is Meri and I am raising three chiabetics."

What a wonderful friend Kelly! Cheers to him!

Jamie Naessens said...

Mark is a keeper! I'm all misty now. Thanks for sharing that story. I love it

Jen said...

That made me laugh out loud! I too am raising a chiabetic!

Cara said...

I love it! He sounds like a fantastic friend to have. :) And I love the term chiabetic. I may have to borrow it too!

Anonymous said...

Your story is inspiring and captivating, and gives me the incentive to post some of my personal ups and downs

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