What's Your Story?

One of my favorite times of the year is when our school works together to serve others.  This past April we had our third annual Poverty Action Week.   One of the special learning opportunities every grade level experiences that week is to hear different ministry leaders share their stories with our students.  I had the privilege of talking with two of this year’s speakers.

In my short conversation with Sr. Margaret I listened with awe as she shared some of her experiences.  Her humility inspired me.  It was apparent that Sr. Margaret loved sharing the Gospel through her role as a Daughter of Charity.  Our conversation reminded me of that quote from Mother Teresa, “I am like a pencil in God’s hand...  He does the writing.  The pencil has nothing to do with it.”  Sr. Margaret’s joy stemmed from the story God was writing in the lives of the people she serves.

Sr. Margaret was first inspired by the work of the Daughters of Charity when she was going to law school in Saginaw, Michigan.  She shared how watching the Daughters of Charity’s work with the poor inspired her to become a sister.  Since becoming a nun, Sr. Margaret has used her legal background to help people in need.  She has been an advocate for patients, helped Haitian refugees, and educated prison inmates.  Sr. Margaret enlisted the help of her friends to build a proper education building for the inmates she was teaching while she was serving in the South Pacific.  She helped create and maintain a library and an after school program.  Sr. Margaret worked with special needs high school students, and she was her community’s lead representative to the United Nations. 

I am truly grateful that Sr. Margaret shared her experiences with our students.  Listening to her story reminded me of how important it is to follow our call, and that our callings are unique and given to us by God. 

While Sr. Margaret was speaking with our fourth and fifth graders, Joanna was speaking with my first graders.  Joanna’s children have all graduated from our school now, and she is currently working on her masters degree in social work.  Joanna shared with my students about her experiences working with women through a program called Changed Choices.  The mission of Changed Choices as stated on their website https://changedchoices.org is “As followers of Christ, we empower currently and recently incarcerated women to achieve lasting, positive change through programming and personalized mental, emotional, physical and spiritual support.” (8/12/19)

Joanna described how she felt the first time she went to visit the women at Changed Choices.  She told my students that she left that first morning thinking that bad people were in prison.  “But after meeting these women for the first time I realized that they were good people who had made a really bad choice.  These women were funny, smart, pretty, kind, young and old.  Making mistakes is part of being human.  We all need a little help sometimes, and we all need support to get through tough times.”

Joanna explained that it’s a privilege for the women she works with to meet with her.  “We meet with them for one hour.  We’re the only people from the outside they get to see.  They have to see family members through a glass window.”   My students were greatly impacted when Joanna shared how grateful these women are to touch grass, and that they get up at 4:30am.

Joanna reminded my students “It doesn’t matter what mistakes you’ve made.  We’re better than the worse thing we’ve ever done in our life.” What a powerful reminder of our communal need for Grace.

I can think of no better way to show our students how they can be pencils in God’s hands than to continue to share the stories of ministry leaders like Joanna and Sr. Margaret.

What’s your story?  How are you helping others?  How are your students helping others?  Let’s keep this conversation going.

As always, thanks for reading.

Ellen

What Does it Mean to be Brave?

What does it mean to be brave? Merriam Webster's online dictionary defines it as "having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty :having or showing courage."  

I've reflected a lot on what it means to be brave in the last two years as I've faced unexpected health challenges which led to being diagnosed with a chronic condition. I've described my journey as a roller coaster.  I joke that this is why I don't like real roller coasters.  I don't like being jarred, jerked, surprised, and unexpected turns and drops.  I much prefer a smooth, calm, leisurely walk on the beach.  

In order to stay healthy, I've had to make drastic changes in my diet, and I have had to accept that some days my best efforts can't alleviate my symptoms.  I've struggled with managing my frustration, and I've read a lot to become more informed on my condition.  I've met some inspiring and encouraging people.  I've learned to look for the good in all my days, not just the ones where I'm able to take a calm walk.

During the course of my journey, I became aware of Taylor's story.  I knew I wanted to share it on my blog.  Taylor is a living example of what it means to be brave.  

Here is my interview with Taylor:

How did you discover that you had diabetes?  

It took quite a while before they officially diagnosed me with Type 1 Diabetes, but several months leading up to the diagnosis I had not been feeling well. I was always tired, I felt super weak, and I constantly needed to go to the bathroom. I found it extremely hard to play sports because I was so weak. I also had lost over 30 pounds in just a few months which was a big red flag to my family. When the symptoms first started I was told it was just a sinus infection and was given an antibiotic. After weeks passed with no sign of relief, my mom finally decided to take me back to the doctor. None of us were expecting the diagnosis of diabetes.  

How did your diagnosis affect your life?  Who helped you the most?

It was a whirlwind of emotions when I was first diagnosed. I remember I just kept thinking "How am I supposed to do this for the rest of my life?" After the diagnosis I was pretty scared to jump back into my life with school and sports because I was still processing all that had happened. But step by step I took on this new challenge in my life, and day by day it got a little easier. I definitely have become more aware of what foods I eat, and I have to watch myself extra carefully when I am playing sports and exercising.  My whole family, especially my parents, really helped me adjust to this big change. This was just as new to them as it was to me, but they were always right there when I needed them the most. I couldn't have gotten through it without them. Also, I am so thankful because I have the most supportive and amazing friends. Many of us have been friends since our days as Saint Matthew Wildcats. They were so understanding, and they didn’t treat me any different after the diagnosis which was exactly what I needed. They are such a blessing in my life.

Was there anything that helped you that you would like to share with other children who have diabetes?

A big problem I struggled with and continue to struggle with is the feeling that I need to be perfect at managing it. Diabetes, as I have learned, is a roller coaster. No matter how hard you try you will have some days that your blood sugar is trending high, and that’s OK. My biggest advice to other kids like me is don’t worry about having that perfect report. As long as you are managing it to the best of your abilities, you are doing amazing! Another thing that really helped me is knowing that I am not alone in this disease. While sometimes it may feel like no one understands, there are people all over that have the same hardships and struggles, and we are all supporting each other. That is why attending Camp Morris had such a big impact on me. 

How did you come up with the idea to start a non-profit?

After I was diagnosed, I spent about 24 hours in the hospital so they could monitor and stabilize my blood sugar. Throughout my hospital stay I was visited by multiple educators and members of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They gave me a ton of information to process in a short time, but everyone was so wonderful and patient and assured me that this would not hold me back from experiencing life. It was on the way home from the hospital that I realized that I wanted to do something that would benefit the Type 1 Diabetes community. I wanted to help other children adjust to their new life, but I was unsure of what I could do. After a couple more conversations with my parents, the idea for Type Taylor was born!

What are your current goals for your non-profit?

My current goals for this non profit is to be able to send two children to a camp I have attended for the past two summers. This camp is for all diabetics ranging from rising third graders to rising eleventh. I really believe this camp can change someone's life because it changed mine. Being in that environment where everyone understands and supports each other is really indescribable. While there are so many amazing diabetes research studies being funded around the world for a cure, my main focus is trying to help children manage and live with their diabetes while we all hope for a future cure. 

What are your dreams for your non-profit?

My dream for this non profit is to continue to expand to help families that may be struggling within the Type 1 community in whatever way I can. Whether that be continuing to send children to camp or helping provide diabetic supplies, as long as it is aiding the Type 1 community in some way I am all for it. 

How can people help you?

Any donation, no matter how small, is so greatly appreciated. Along with donations, spreading awareness about this nonprofit and Type 1 Diabetes is helpful to our cause. I am so grateful to be a part of the St. Matthew community and to have met so many wonderful people on this journey. I cannot express enough how thankful I am for your support and contributions. Our website is endtype1.com, and there you will find additional information regarding Type Taylor and how to donate. Also you can reach us at help@endtype1.com with any questions or comments. 

A little side note: This summer I was fortunate enough to send a kid to camp. His name is Wesley, and he is a rising fourth grader. He was diagnosed when he was two years old, but his family had never been able to afford this camp. Throughout the week, I watched Wesley make friends and embrace his Type 1 Diabetes, and that was something I cherished watching. He loved it so much that on the last day the counselors couldn’t get him to pack because he didn't want to leave. This week only made my passion for this non profit stronger. I knew what a big impact the camp had on me, but seeing firsthand the effect this camp had on him and the joy he had while being there moved me in a way I cannot describe.

I am grateful to Taylor for sharing her story and for encouraging us to face our challenges and to look for ways to help others who are struggling.

Thanks for reading,

Ellen