Happy Thanksgiving to My Diabetes Health Community

This year is challenging for most of us. Missing family gatherings and Friendsgiving is a significant loss to many. No wonder depression has increased by 40% since the COVID-19 epidemic. The holidays are a timestamp for us to catch up with the people that love us.

 

Outside of wearing masks and sanitizing our hands, what can you do to be safe? Stay home to:

 

1- Video chat with friends and family.
2- Watch a comedy movie or Saturday Night Live.
3- Have a conversation with friends and family you have been too busy to connect with.
4- Give thanks for three to five things in your life. After a week, if you do this daily, you find yourself being happier for no apparent reason. Gratitude for your life and the people in your life reminds us what is essential to us.
4- Most important of all-, know this too shall pass. History is full of stories that we have never experienced. But for us, we will chronicle the year 2020 as a time when we were tested personally and professionally.
5- If you have lost a love one to COVID-19, find a grieving support group. You are not alone. My mother and brother passed away 20 and 7 years ago. I still miss them. The pain has a lesson. The reality is such, my memories of them, especially around the holidays, will never be erased. Their spirits, our conversation, and laughter live on forever.

 

If you plan on drinking on Thanksgiving, you may be interested in reading my AskNadia Column about “How Much Alcohol is Too Much for Diabetes.”

 

Be safe and let me know how I can be of service to you.
I wish you a safe Thanksgiving!

Nadia Al-Samarrie

P.S.-I give thanks for your choice in being part of my diabetes community. You inspire me to be my best.