While sitting at my dorm's desk the morning my article was due, I intuitively grabbed a yellow starburst to quickly occupy my craving for something sweet. Unwrapping the colored square, I realized that I have never quite appreciated the purpose that I pair with this specific candy. As you may have learned from my most recent article, my diabetes grants me with surprise, low blood-sugars, which I then am required to treat with small amounts of carbs, or in this case, candy. When I was first diagnosed in high school, I would typically have granola bars or chips on-hand for emergencies, but only when I remembered to pack them. Being prepared for intense drops in my blood-sugar was something that I wasn't great at, and quite frankly it never seemed too important. However, when the time arrived, it was crucial that it would be treated immediately. Fortunately for me, I had a friend who always had a snack, or starbursts, to share with me.
Most call her Ms. McRob; I call her my hero. To many students, her starbursts represented a congratulatory treat, rewarded after participation during class. But to me, they represented trust and reliability. Most days, I would put my health into her hands, blindly going to school without any emergency snacks. None the less, anytime I reached her class with a low blood-sugar, there was always an arm outstretched waiting for me, starbursts in hand.
Her generosity thankfully continued as I advanced in my high school career and continued to be an irresponsible diabetic. Stress is a major factor of my glucose levels, so when my blood-sugar dropped before a speech, I would pop into her classroom for a starburst. Midterms? Starbursts. Pop quiz? Starbursts. Final exams? Starbursts. I do admit, on more than one occasion I would claim my blood-sugar was low just to be able to see her if I felt it had been too long.
For those of you reading who did not have the privilege of having Kaleigh McRoberts as a teacher, I'm truly sorry. She's much more than a teacher that I can mooch candy off of, she's a friend, a shoulder to cry on, a beautiful face that is always wearing a smile. Much like how the starburst is much more than a chewy square, she made such a boring piece of candy hold such responsible and enlightening characteristics.
As I now enter my first year of college, I've obtained more responsibilities, including keeping my own bag of those life-saving starbursts that remind me to be just as humble and generous as McRob.
I carry with me not only a piece of sugar, but a piece of you, Kaleigh. Thank you for always keeping my blood-sugar and my head up.
