Out of office

Christmas eve and Melbourne is turning it on. Gorgeous sunshine and divine mid-twenties temperatures. It seems perfect and would be if it weren’t for the C word’s new O variant that is looming heavily. I went to the Queen Vic Market this morning with my sister for our traditional oyster breakfast, and kept having to talk myself off the ledge of overwhelming anxiety at the thought of being amongst far more people than I’ve grown comfortable.

But amongst it all, Christmas is here. A huge jar of buttery shortbread stars sits on the kitchen counter, grabby hands reaching in anytime we walk by. Crostoli have been made, eaten and more made. The Christmas tree is decked and glittery, wrapped gifts strewn. There is freshly assembled tiramisu in the fridge, time doing its magic so that when it’s served up tomorrow, it will be a perfectly pillowy delight of coffee and mascarpone. There is lasagna ready for this evening’s small gathering here. Tomorrow will see another two family get togethers and Boxing Day will be the final of the family assemblies.

I feel oddly relaxed, which is lovely because often at this point of the game, I’m a stressed mess with a list the length of all the versus of the 12 Days of Christmas, wondering where I can still find wrapping paper, and hopeful that the local bookshop will still be open for those last minute presents I forgot.

And so, I’m signing off for a few weeks as I enjoy some time off, dappled sunshine to light my days, memories to be made with my beautiful family, a new kitten cuddle, pups to take to the park, friends to hang out with, including some I’ve not seen in two years who somehow miraculously booked tickets on flights that actually made it to Australia. There will be walks along the beach, afternoons languishing on the back deck with my Christmas books (presumptuous of me, but it’s a good bet), outdoor tables at cafes where I’ll sit for hours, alternating between hot and iced lattes, and lots of food. And as little time as possible dedicated to dealing with diabetes, because I am so lucky that Loop has been part of my life

Two years ago, I was wrapping up one of the busiest advocacy years I’d ever had. My passport had been stamped well over twenty times as I flew in and out of countries across the world, presenting, running workshops, sitting in ad board meetings, fighting the good fight. It was exhilarating, exhausting, exciting. And 2020 started off in the same way. Until the world changed. But the advocacy efforts haven’t stopped. In fact, this year was probably my busiest ever. 2022 is already shaping up to be just as involved as this year, more so probably. I’m already scared to look at some months on my calendar, as dates are filling fast. I wouldn’t want it any other way. But that’s next year.

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by this year. I’ve had the most gorgeous messages from people – words of support, asks for help, messages of solidarity. I’m always so grateful to people when they reach out. And I’m grateful to everyone who has taken the time to read my words. I’ve always said that hearing the stories of others helps me make sense of my own diabetes. I hope that perhaps my stories here have helped others in similar ways.

And so, there is only one thing left for me to do before I close my MacBook and let the battery run flat over the next couple of weeks. And that’s make a donation to Insulin for Life’s Secret Santa campaign. Thanks to everyone who has already donated to #IFLSecretSanta this year. Hundreds of dollars of donations followed my earlier post about it. If you’ve been meaning to make a donation, please do. It is truly one of the most important things you can do at this time of the year.

I’m dedicating my donation to diabetes friends who have been incredibly important to me over the last year. Peer support continues to be a cornerstone of my diabetes management – I can’t see that changing any time soon. And I can’t see a better way to say thank you to those who have helped me by supporting a charity that helps others with diabetes.