The Life Changer
Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 12:27PM There is always something to learn from people I meet who have diabetes. That could be hearing about a new technology or finding a great low carb recipe. Sometimes the things I learn from the DOC are so life changing it is hard to put into words.
Lee Ann Thill changed my life, twice. How could a type 1 blogger from the other side of the country change my life? The first time she did it by reintroducing me to a former love, art.
Lee Ann is the brains behind Diabetes Art Day. A day where we are encouraged to make art with a diabetes twist. The first year my whole family joined in and all four of us sat around the table and made art about our feelings towards diabetes.
Those few hours were so much fun and so memorable. Each of us shared our pictures, what they meant, why we came up with them, and what we called them. This lead to very deep discussions about how diabetes effects my family and how they feel about how it affects me. It opened up the road of communication between all of us regarding my disease and for that I will be eternally grateful.
Meeting Lee Ann in person was a highlight. She is honest and real. So much so that I have many pictures when my timing has captured exactly what she is thinking at any particular moment. Her likes and dislikes are easy to read from her expressions.
Some of the best laughing attacks I have had are because of Lee Ann. Her sense of humor is right up my alley and always welcomed. Her passion for art and what it can do to transform our hearts is apparent in all she does. If she could meet every single person with diabetes in the world and help them see what art can do to change their lives I think she would.
Last December when I was home after my surgery I was feeling really depressed. I was in pain constantly, I could not work, and I felt alone. Sitting at the computer was uncomfortable and the rest of my family was not doing well either. It was a bad time.
One day I get an unexpected package delivered from FedEx. It turned out that Lee Ann sent me a box filled with art supplies. Paper, pens, pictures, markers, paint, prompts, pastels, brushes, and most of all hope. I sat there looking at it all and just fell apart. My sister just had surgery for cancer, my step mother died when I was in surgery and everything seemed the worst it could be. That package was the second time Lee Ann changed my life.
She made me see that even when I am in a terribly dark and sad place, art can be there for me in a way no one can. It doesn’t judge and no one ever has to see what I create. Whatever is created is exactly what I needed to get out.
Lee Ann is an important person in my life and I am so thankful for our friendship. I love her heaps.
Share your love for Lee Ann in the comments.
Reader Comments (4)
LeeAnn makes me laugh whenever I see her and she makes my brain work in a whole different way every time Diabetes Art Day comes around & it's awesome!
Also: My kitchen had glints of glitter EVERYWHERE this Diabetes Art Day & it's all thanks to LeeAnn~
LeeAnn is honest, brave, and the kind of person I want on my side when things are getting rough. I love this post because it highlights so much of her awesome.
LeeAnn is one of my friends that I am SURE my mom likes better than she likes me. She always asks about her - they have a reptile bond :)
I love LeeAnn and am so in awe of all she does. I think one of my favorite, craziest memories is when she and I roomed together at BlogHer. We sat on our beds, dressed in matching Jammies for the Cure (blue circles!!), each with a laptop on our laps, talking to each other on FaceBook. It was ridiculous and perfect all at the same time.