It’s Okay to Cry in the Parking Lot

If you saw my post about me crying in the parking lot recently…yes, that was me. And you know what? It’s okay.

Being a parent is hard. Being a parent of a child with type 1 diabetes is even harder. There are moments that feel like too much, when the weight of constant responsibility, fear, and exhaustion finally hits, and all you can do is let it out. It doesn’t make you weak. It doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human. And if you’re like me, sometimes you just need to call your best friend, even if you’re in the middle of a grocery store parking lot, with your kids in the backseat, and let yourself cry.

Recently, we went to a service project at Culver Beach with friends, ready for a day of giving back and connection. But we had to leave early—again—because Maybel’s Dexcom wasn’t reading. She was right there in front of me, even her phone nearby, and it still stopped working. That moment, after all the chaos we’ve had—our house flooding, switching her pump, managing all the little things that type 1 throws at us daily—it finally became too much. I broke down. I couldn’t stay strong anymore. I had been holding it together, and my body and mind finally said, “nope, this is too heavy.”

Type 1 diabetes doesn’t take a break. Not for meals. Not for sleep. Not for family events, vacations, or even a day meant to serve others. Every moment is decision-making: counting carbs, managing insulin, adjusting for activity and illness, watching numbers climb or fall, and constantly staying on alert. There is no cure. There is no pause button. Nothing prepares you for that moment when your child is diagnosed, and nothing prepares you for the day-to-day struggles that follow. It’s relentless. And it sucks so hard.

I share this not to complain but to let other parents know…you are not alone. You don’t need to be superhuman every second. You don’t need to hide your tears. There is incredible strength in admitting that it’s hard and giving yourself permission to feel it.

And I also want to pause to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who has been here for us: the friends who check in, the people who bring meals, the ones who simply listen, support, and love without judgment. Your thoughtfulness has lifted me more times than I can count. Your kindness reminds me that while this journey is brutal, it’s not one we walk alone.

So to all the parents—type 1 or not—who are holding too much right now, who are exhausted, scared, frustrated, or just plain sad: it’s okay to take a minute. It’s okay to cry in the parking lot, on the floor, in your car, or anywhere you need to. It doesn’t make you less amazing. It makes you human.

Parenting is hard. Parenting a child with a chronic illness is even harder. But day by day, minute by minute, we keep showing up. We keep fighting, we keep loving, and somehow, we keep finding moments of joy in the chaos. You are doing an incredible job—even when it doesn’t feel like it.

So go ahead. Breathe. Cry. Call your bestie. And then, when you’re ready, stand back up. Because you are amazing, and your child’s life is better because of you.