For the past six years there has been a question that I have been asking myself repeatedly- “Is there a reason for me to live?” The reason I ask myself this question is because unfortunately I have diabetes. I’ve been a diabetic since I was the age of 12. Diabetes is a chronic condition where the pancreas produces little or no insulin to the body.  It’s been a living hell for me. Every day and every night I would have to prick myself with needles. I would have to wear a patch on my body 24/7. It really has been tough for me. I remember the day I became a diabetic better than anything. It was a Sunday morning. My dad realized that I had been going to the bathroom several times within an hour and drinking more water than anything. Since my brother was already a diabetic, he knew the drill. He told me to go check my blood sugar level, and it showed HIGH. The very next day I was taken to the hospital where my brothers’ doctor informed my parents that I had been diagnosed with diabetes. When she left the room, they began crying. I on the other hand, the little innocent kid that I was, had no idea what was going on. I thought it was a joke nothing crazy, so I told them everything was going to be ok. I was wrong, everything just got tougher. Six years of constant pain, constant worries, constant distraction from the real beauty of life is what I had ahead of me. It took me until recently to finally realize that yes  there is a reason to live. I have come to understand that what I have is not a curse it is a gift. Diabetes is a gift that has made me the person who I am today. I thank god day in and day out that I have diabetes and nothing worse. Who am I to complain when there are people that I have to spend their day in hospital or in wheelchairs. Thankfully, today there are medicines to help regulate my sugar levels and keep me looking healthy. People always tell me to enjoy life to the fullest, and that what I plan on doing no matter what gets in my way.