Translation:  “The ABCs of Loving Yourself with Diabetes.” This Spring my ABC book came out in Spanish due to the unprecedented hard work of its two translators: Georgina Baez-Sommer (pictured here) and Amparo Fernandez. How lucky was I to have two translators from the United Nations! In truth, I’m not that special but beside being a dedicated professional, Georgina also happens to be my neighbor’s mother. 

I decided there isn’t enough literature to help Spanish speaking people with diabetes, the Hispanic population being one of the highest risk groups, so voila, a coaching book in Spanish. 

“The ABCs of Loving Yourself with Diabetes” guides readers to use more positive emotions both in life and in living with diabetes, for one enhances the other. For instance, if you appreciate all that you do have in your life – friends, family, work, a hobby you love, you experience life as a happier place. Being happier makes managing diabetes a little easier. If you forgive your mistakes with diabetes and see them as learning opportunities, you build a databank of diabetes knowledge and more resources to do better next time. If you’re struggling with something in your care and can look back to when you’ve managed difficult times before and bring those same qualities and skills to managing your diabetes, you will do better.

Among the emotions you’ll learn to augment are courage, confidence, joy, awe and pride. You deserve to be proud just because living with diabetes is an ongoing job. Pride in a job well done is a powerful source of energy and healing. In truth, all we have power over living with diabetes is how we live with it: graciously, responsibly, lovingly and kindly or angrily, guiltily, sadly, beating ourselves up and everyone around us.

Anyway, just wanted to remind you The ABCs is available in Spanish and share these lovely pictures. Now it’s up to you to do the rest.