By Sandra Rippetoe © 2020

In memory of my dear grandmother, Corinne Antle Smith, “Nana,”
who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes around 1947

At a lonely kitchen table with pen in steady hand,
sat a woman named Corinne with her daily menu planned.

She had diabetes, a blood sugar disease.
Unlike others, she couldn’t eat what she pleased.

Calories were counted. No desserts. Nothing sweet.
With every meal she ate one portion of meat.

Worst of all was the shot, given each day.
It was insulin to make her blood sugar stay

like everyone else’s – in the normal range.
A habit formed over time. It was no longer strange.

She was the only one with diabetes as far as she knew . . .
the only one for whom all these restrictions were true.

The doctor told her, “Two miles. Each day, you must walk.”
“Another rule to follow,” thought Corinne, as she balked.

But then her feet made a path through some woods to a field.
This became the place where her questioning heart healed.

In the middle of that meadow atop a steep hill,
stood a large old tree – – peaceful and still.

What a view from that hilltop! Corinne could see for miles.
No matter her mood, she eventually smiled.

Under the tree’s canopy, she sat down to rest.
This was the spot where she felt very blessed.

A mockingbird, you see, made its home in that tree.
While Corinne listened . . . from her troubles she was free.

That mockingbird sang sweetly, and its lovely song
filled her sad heart with joy. It righted every wrong.

Other creatures visited – making friends with Corinne –
butterflies, bumblebees, and a neighboring farm’s hen.

So her disease, perhaps, was a saving grace.
It was because of diabetes that she found this place . . .

which became part of her life, so dear to her soul.
Despite her challenges, she became healthy and whole.

If you find in your own life – times have gotten tough,
if you’re sick or lonely or you’ve just had enough,

let your feet find a path through the woods to a field,
and may your questioning heart, like Corinne’s, be healed.