The back drop to the whole language movement is acceptance. It’s time to move beyond “meeting people where they are” and start accepting people where they are.
I’ve heard horror stories about people who’ve gone to a provider reporting pain or other problems and been told: “that’s what happens when you don’t take care of yourself.” Let’s change that to “tell me more about what’s going on and we’ll see what we can do.”
We often hear that for people with diabetes it’s all about balance (in fact, I have a book with that as the subtitle). For health professionals who work in diabetes, it’s all about acceptance. It really doesn’t help to judge, because that won’t get the provider or the patient anywhere. Acceptance is the only approach that makes sense. It opens up the possibility of choices or options, which gives people hope. And I’ve mentioned on several occasions that without hope we have nothing.
While no one can change what happened in the past, acceptance can shape or redirect the future. May all diabetes professionals take the opportunity to be guided by acceptance; may all people with diabetes feel accepted.