In our family we like to confront diabetes with an element of nonchalance. Not about treatment, which we're fastidious about, but in attitude. We don't want our son to take on a tragic view of living with a chronic disease. A positive attitude is half the battle.

But sometimes I think we might make it look too easy for family and friends. They see snippets of our life with diabetes -- the blood sugar tests, the bolus with the cool-looking insulin pump, quick dashes for juice or sugar...