Bride’s Guide To Diabetes

My maternal grandmother, Mary Zinni, living with diabetes, was married 100 years ago on June 12, 1921. She was a kind, hardworking mother of five. When my grandmother wasn’t preparing meals, she made her own pasta and sauce, cleaning and caring for her family, she was writing letters to help other family members and neighbors come to America. Although my grandfather didn’t know how to read or write, my grandmother read and wrote in English and Italian.

Her oldest granddaughter, Lynne, remembers finding her once she passed out at the bottom of the cellar stairs from low blood sugar. My mother says she took one shot a day (I assume it was insulin) and never spoke about her diabetes.

Unfortunately, my mother says my grandmother was born in the wrong era, which means she was ‘too bright’ for her time. However, her intellect was gifted to her daughters, granddaughters, great-granddaughters, college graduates, knowledgeable, and very accomplished women.

This year, two of her great-granddaughters were married! One in Newport, RI, and the other in Missoula, MT. Both weddings were delayed due to COVID. However, the year-long wait didn’t manageto dampen spirits or dim any of the dazzle! Each wedding was spectacular in its own way. If I am partial to one, it’s because I officiated it!

Enjoy helpful tips for those living with, at risk, and affected by diabetes on their ‘Big Day’ on Divabetic’s Bride’s Guide To Diabetes podcast.