May 13th

I woke up Saturday morning at about 6, tossed some clothes on, and headed over to Walmart (ugh) to pick up a helium tank and a few last-minute items for Ryan's 11am Baseball Birthday Party.


It wasn't until I was driving back home that I remembered it was also my birthday. How's that for denial?

Ryan's party was a blast. I owe that to my insanely wonderful Mom, who came down for the weekend to help. Thanks to her, lunch actually got made while I ran the games for the kids.

Saturday night, I threw a book launch party for family, friends and any of my interviewees who could get themselves to north central VA. It was held at The Wounded Bookshop, a non-profit venture in a 200+ year old building downtown. One of the women from my favorite on-line support group drove up from North Carolina for both parties, which just blows me away! I've met her before, but it's still amazing to me that these internet connections can be so darn strong.

I was also delighted to meet the mother of one of my interviewees, who came because her daughter was out of town. I really think that my book will be helpful to the moms of women with diabetes, who have to sit by and worry while their kids become parents (and must worry more than the average mom!). We fiercely independent women with diabetes, out to prove that we can have kids and determined to keep our own parents from worrying, don't often keep our folks in the loop, and I hope my book will be a source of information and comfort for the grandmoms-to-be who raised a daughter with diabetes back in the day when pregnancy was actively discouraged.

My dad made the trip to attend and photograph the event (we call him the PopPopRazzi), and my sister surprised me by flying down from NYC. My Mom ran the whole darn show, seemlessly and elegantly. I don't even know how to begin to thank them.

To top it all off, three of my friends from camp surprised me by flying down from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I cried when I saw them. I still can't believe they made the trip - on Mother's Day weekend, no less. If you had asked me before the party what one thing I would have wanted to cap off this celebration, it would have been a way to include the people from camp who encouraged and supported me when I entered the Dream Fund contest. Three of the biggies were there, and it was a perfect gift.

Five of us went out for a bite to eat after the party, strolling the streets of Fredericksburg on a cool spring night under a full moon. I was proud to show off my new home town (though clueless as to where to go at 10PM on a Saturday night.)

And of course, there was a song to fit the moment. I found myself humming this simple camp ditty as I drove home, remembering the sweet voices of campers singing it in a round at campfire:

Make new friends but keep the old
One is silver and the other, gold
A circle's round, it has no end,
that's how long I want to be your friend.

I couldn't sleep when I finally got home, I was too happy and excited. I was reminded just how wonderful my life is in so many ways, with good health, an amazing family, and such good friends - old and new, near and far.

It was the best birthday ever.