Category: D-Stories

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Divabetic Celebrates Earth Day!

Today is World Earth Day!

Divabetic is happy to support awareness about pollution and to celebrate the environment of the blue planet. Our two previous Diabetes Mystery podcasts, Kill Me Madam and Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes pack strong Earth Day’s messages between all of the action, diabetes information, intrigue, laughs, and suspense!

We’re According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. consumes around 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, and globally, around 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year. In fact, four out of five grocery bags in the U.S. are plastic, but a person only uses a plastic bag for around 12 minutes before being discarded or stored.

The environmental costs of plastic remain at an all-time high. Since only five percent of plastics are effectively recycled, that means the remaining 95 percent are left all over the planet.

Plastic pollution is poisoning our oceans and land, injuring marine life, and affecting our health.

Plastic has been collecting in the marine environment since plastic production began in the 1950s — in fact, each square mile of the ocean contains more than 46,000 pieces of floating plastic. Eight million metric tons of plastics make their way into the ocean each year.

You can do your bit to help end plastic pollution by finding out how many plastic items you consume every year and make a pledge to reduce the amount.

How You Can Reduce Plastic In Your Daily Life

Avoid using straws. Do you really need a straw? When at a restaurant, ask that no straw be brought out with your drink.

Stop using disposable silverware.

Use reusable produce bags

Buy in bulk

Stop buying bottled water

Buy cardboard over plastic

Avoid fabrics with plastic microfibers, such as nylon and polyester.

Since you can buy your own water filtration system, there is no need to buy bottled water. It’s just a waste of plastic. Plus, this is one of the easiest targets for reducing waste. And, for water on the go, keep a refillable bottle around.

Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes is set in the fictitiously decadent world-renowned Gingerbread Men Cookie Baking Competition in New York’s Central Park Zoo. Mr. Divabetic’s healthy culinary misadventures continue in this year’s escapade as he enters the competition with headless cookies and pureed kale hot cocoa for the judges to sample. As if this dreadful combination wasn’t bad enough to land him at the bottom of the throwdown, his mother, Mama Rose Marie, is accused of poisoning one of the celebrity judges! Things go from bad to worse when the snake phobic Mr. Divabetic hears about the giant python’s escape.

Now, the happy healthcare host must decide to face his fear of snakes and recipe rejection or throw in his apron and risk getting caught up in another murder investigation. Can Mr. Divabetic and his team of amateur sleuths hunt down the real killer and get Mama Rose Marie out of jail? Will he be the next murder victim? Can he ever create an edible recipe?

The cast of Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes features Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR), The Happy Diabetic Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, Coach The Cure’s Trisha Artman, Jillian Walsh, Wendy Radford, Dave Jones, Lorraine Brooks, and Max Szadek.

Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from the original Broadway cast recording of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes courtesy of SONY MUSIC.

There’s a good indication that murder might be part of the recipe when Nantucket’s ten-time reigning Baking Champion’s last name is ‘Coffin’. But resentment, greed, and Britannia’s own bad dealings turn everyone into a suspect when she’s found dead in the parking lot just before the Annual Decadents on Deck! Bake Off competition is about to kick off.

Delusional baker and amateur sleuth Mr. Divabetic is even shocked to find himself being treated as a suspect in the case by the local police, after meeting her just once!

As if his life wasn’t crazy enough before, escaping a murderous mishap in New York and attempting a fresh start in Nantucket has turned into a complete and utter baking disaster, now Max, along with his friends and nosy mother, have to add tracking down a murderer to his To-Do list, as well.

Can our team hunt down the real murderer before they strike again? Will he become the next victim? Can Max ever manage to bake a cake that’s actually edible?

Kill Me Madam podcast cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

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Luther’s Power Of Love/Love Power Celebrates 30th Anniversary

I am not only obsessed with Luther’s fantastic ability to put his stamp on classic songs, A House Is Not A Home, Superstar, and Anyone Who Had A Heart, but also his genius at mashing up two separate songs to create one phenomenal masterpiece. For example, his classic Power Of Love/Love Power celebrating its 30th anniversary this week.
 
Do you know that this song is a medley of two songs, his original Power of Love and the remake of  Love Power? Love Power had been a minor hit in 1968 by the one-hit-wonder R&B group, The Sandpebbles (I’m crossing my fingers for a reunion tour) and then, Dusty Springfield performed a live version.

 
I echo the sentiments expressed by music critic Ken Tucker for Entertainment Weekly, ” Luther Vandross has joined two different songs, both featuring gliding, colliding melodies that offer the singer an opportunity to apply his delicate tenor to witty, chanted variations on the songs’ titles.”

 
Luther’s version, Power Of Love/Love Power, spent two weeks at #1 on the US R&B chart and peaked at #4 on the US pop chart, becoming his biggest pop solo hit (at the time). We played Luther’s Power Of Love/Love Power at the end of every one of Divabetic’s national Makeover Your Diabetes diabetes outreach programs. 
Learn more about the backstory of the making of Power Of Love/Love Power on this remarkable FANDROSS video:

 
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Luther Vandross Honored with Google Doodle for his 70th Birthday

Today’s video Google Doodle, created by Atlanta-based guest artist Sam Bass, celebrates the 70th birthday of multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Luther Vandross—the “Velvet Voice” whose silky-smooth tenor ballads romanced generations with inimitable style and grace.

Born on this day in 1951 in New York City, Luther Ronzoni Vandross grew up inspired by soul music giants such as Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, and Dionne Warwick. At the age of five, he showed a sharp interest in singing, often using the coin-operated recording booths found in stores sprinkled throughout New York City at the time. He truly knew music was his destiny after a Warwick performance blew him away at 13—so he began to write his own songs. After high school, Vandross showcased his tunes at Amateur Night at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. Although he never won first place, he joined the theater’s performing arts group “Listen My Brother Revue,” who sang on the 1969 pilot episode of the children’s show “Sesame Street” and gave Vandross his first taste of widespread exposure.

Vandross’s next big break came when his original composition “Everybody Rejoice” was featured in “The Wiz,” a 1974 Broadway musical later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. From there, Vandross launched himself into dozens of collaborative projects with artists like David Bowie, Ringo Starr, Whitney Houston, and Ben E. King. His knack for infectious hooks also landed him gigs singing commercial jingles for Juicy Fruit and several other major brands.

In 1981, Vandross launched his solo career and took full creative control to compose, write, and produce his debut studio album “Never Too Much”—the soundtrack of today’s Doodle and the first of 14 studio albums that went either platinum or multi-platinum! A fine-tuned maestro of performance, Vandross took his passionate songs on world-wide tours, where he poured his style into all aspects of live production, from the design of background singers sparkling gowns to the mood-setting stage lights. In 1989, Vandross’s devotion to the live experience set an international milestone when he became the first male artist to sell out 10 consecutive shows at London’s Wembley Arena.

Vandross’s successful music career culminated in eight Grammy Awards (out of 33 nominations), a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a 1997 Super Bowl half-time show performance, and eight Billboard Top 10 albums.

Happy birthday, Luther Vandross! The joy your music brings to the world is never too much.

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Last Dance With My Father (Part 3 of 3)

“Wow, Mom. This backstage pass is so cool. Who else is going to be there?”

“All his other vocalists, Pearl, Tamara, and Lynette.” Candace bristles at the mention of her arch nemesis’s name. Bitter rivalries are part of the cost she paid for everyone believing she was Luther’s favorite. Lynette Berry shot nasty daggers at her when she announced she was leaving the tour. The rage she saw in her arch nemesis’s eyes is unforgettable. A million questions flash through her mind: Does Lynette still hold a grudge? What about the others? And more importantly, what will happen when they find out her secret? 

“Go,” he says sounding like Luther all those years ago, as he drapes the all-access concert lament over his head. “Do it for me. I won’t go.”

“Wouldn’t you rather have me stay here with you? New York is pretty far away if anything happens …”

“I’ll be fine. Just promise me before you go –“

 “Anything.” She knows she can’t deny him when he looks at her that way.

“There will be no more secrets. Okay?” 

The fact that Father’s Day falls on the same day as the Luther Vandross Tribute concert this year hasn’t escaped Candace’s attention. If anything, it’s been at the forefront of her thoughts every day since Chris Naples’s package arrived. She wakes up questioning herself about her decision to keep Mark’s father’s identity from him and doesn’t stop until she is asleep. The promise she made to herself long ago, not to look back, has vanished. If the strong, independent woman she claims to be couldn’t protect her student from tragedy, then maybe she is still just the naive girl who once loved a man more than she loved herself. The truth scares her to death. Why doesn’t she just confirm her son’s theory and tell him his father is Luther Vandross? She turns to face her son. 

“I should have told you this before…” she stops. Mark looks at her with the same expression he had when he was five years old and asked about Santa Claus. His eyes are as big as saucers. She couldn’t break his heart then; she won’t do it now. 

“I’m going to make a fool of myself on the Radio City Music Hall stage. It’s been more than a decade since I performed on anything bigger than my high school auditorium stage.” After a deep breath, she fiddles with the suitcase to make sure it’s closed properly. His disappointment crashes into her like waves hitting rocks in an ocean. She buckles. 

“I promise to tell you. No more secrets. But remember, illusions are harder to let go of than reality.” 

“Yes!!!” He yells it out before she can finish her thoughts. Mark is so excited he hugs her with all his might. Candace is relieved and nervous at the same time. 

“You know I love you. I always protect you.”

She kisses her son goodnight, and he leaves her room.

When he’s gone, she sits down on her bed and hugs herself. She is terrified of what the not-so-distant future holds. The ghosts of her past aren’t the only thing that worries her. There is also the genuine fear of performing on the big stage again. 

As a single mother, she preferred remaining in the background to standing in the spotlight. She is not fully prepared for the challenge in front of her. Candace hasn’t performed professionally since her abrupt departure from Luther’s Secret Love Tour twenty years earlier. Back then, singing and dancing for two solid hours was hard, even though she was at the top of her game. 

Suddenly, she feels like a fool for allowing her son’s desire and nostalgia for the past make her believe she could represent Luther’s legacy. Sure, she has a long history of taking voice and dance classes religiously from the tender age of five. But aside from her church choir, the car, and her shower, she has not performed in an actual show. She studies herself in the mirror. Her Saturday morning yoga class is her only form of exercise, and admittedly she skips months at a time. Can she perform on stage without embarrassing herself or the other performers? What did she think when she agreed to participate? She remembers how much it hurt her inside to make the slightest mistake on stage. Luther noticed everything, including the wrong shade of lipstick after a costume change. Will she disappoint Luther or his fans as soon as she goes on stage?  

She can’t do it. She picks up the phone and starts dialing Luther’s business manager, Chris Naples’s phone number. She stops herself before she dials the last number. 

Mark’s face pops into her mind. He is only four years older than the boy who was killed in the shooting. He has the right to know about the man who is his father; she has the right to move on with her life and stop questioning the decision she made to follow Luther’s orders.

“All these clothes. I must own something sexy!” 

She pulls out a red, flashy 80’s dress and scans its deep plunging neckline and short skirt. 

“It worked once before. Hopefully, it will work again.” She holds the dress next to her body and sways before opening up her suitcase and tenderly packing it inside. 

Luther Vandross taught her about life, loyalty, courage, and dignity. She applies his principles to her daily life. Candace has to keep her promise even though the consequences could prove to be disastrous. What will happen when she gets back? Will their life be the same, or will everything change?  

Maybe her son had the right idea. She should run away just like she did almost twenty years ago. It would make things a lot easier. 

“Mom?”

Candace jumps again at the son of her son’s voice. Mark is standing in her doorway. 

“I wanted to tell something. Destiny’s pregnant. I’m going to be a father.”

TO BE CONTINUED …

Read Last Dance With My Father Part 1

Read Last Dance With My Father Part 2 

In honor of Luther Vandross’s 70th birthday on April 20, 2021, Max Szadek shares an excerpt of his Luther jukebox musical idea, ‘Last Dance With My Father,’ which focuses on a group of fictitious female backing vocalists’ lives and loves.
Synopsis: A son’s ultimatum on Father’s Day causes his mother, one of Luther Vandross’s vocalists, to reunite with her former bandmates for a Luther Tribute Concert after a twenty-year absence. Old rivalries, secrets, and heartaches threaten to break up their perfect harmony.
Daily links will be posted on Divabetic.Org and the Quiet Storm Fans FB page. There’s also a Last Dance With My Father playlist on Spotify.
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Last Dance With My Father (Part 2 of 3)

True to form, Candace does what she has done for over a decade when her son asks her this same question; she looks up at the ceiling and smiles. Only one other person knows who Mark’s father is, and he’s dead. Luther Vandross.

Twenty years earlier, in a concert in Nashville, TN, Candace messed up a few too many of Lester Wilson’s choreographed steps. Unlike Candace to be anything else but perfect on stage, Luther asked her to come to his dressing room after the show so they could talk privately. The two were as thick as thieves off and on stage. She never met anyone quite like him before. He was awe-inspiring as a vocalist, producer, and songwriter. More importantly, he was kind and generous as a man with a wicked sense of humor. For him, she had all the qualities of his favorite divas – Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick – talent, style, and poise. She quickly became his muse on stage and on record personifying his vision of a glamorous, radiant goddess. Luther intuitively knew something was bothering her that was much bigger than her on-stage slip-ups. Seconds after Luther offered her comfort and told her not to worry, she confessed to him about her pregnancy. The moment the words left her mouth, she could see the disappointment rising inside of him. Silence followed. She was turning away when Luther said “Go.”

She grabs a sweater and places it in her suitcase. “I only said that Luther sings love songs. What people do while they listen to his music is their business. Do you know that Luther taught himself to play the piano by ear?” Candace grabs another sweater from her dresser.

Mark interrupts her, “I know, Mom. You’ve told me that stuff a million times. That’s why I’m going to his concert.”

“What?” She looks at his phone. She sees an advertisement for Luther Vandross’s 70th birthday concert at the legendary Radio City Music Hall. 

“You can’t.” She tries to give his phone back to him, but he stands his ground. 

“Are you afraid I’m going to find out? Just tell me.” 

Two weeks ago, she could have taken charge of the situation and skillfully dodged his question without him noticing. But that was before everything changed in a blink of an eye. Although her heart desperately wants her to change the subject before it goes too far, she’s too exhausted for her tongue to tell him another lie. 

“Sheila is right; there isn’t a conference.”

“You lied to me?”

“And when you heard me singing earlier while I was practicing for the show. I’m flying to New York to be part of his tribute BUT …”. She pulls out her contract and itinerary for the upcoming Luther’s Tribute concert from her bureau. 

“But you wanted to keep it a secret like everything else!”

She gets up and grabs a nightgown from her dresser, and puts it in her suitcase. “I was going to say, after what happened, I’m staying home.”

“Then why are you still packing?”

“I don’t know.” Suddenly, the sheer exhaustion from running nonstop for the past seventeen years has caught up to her. “I’m supposed to be unbreakable, and instead, I’m breaking right now. A music celebration doesn’t seem appropriate right now. “

“Then why go?”

“Because it’s never or now. I have to go.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“You just told me to go a minute ago.”

“I know, but now I feel guilty asking you to go after what happened at school. You’re off the hook.”

“Off the hook from what?” She looks at her son, unsure of what to do or say. This sudden about-face in their discussion catches her off guard.

“The shooting made me look at things more closely. I have come to realize over the past few days that Luther is as much a part of my life as you are.”

“So then, we are related!”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t deny it either,” he counters. 

 Candace reaches into her briefcase at the foot of her bed and pulls out some paperwork.  

“I signed a contract. Look, Luther’s old business manager, Chris Naples, sent me this contract weeks ago before the shooting.” She points to the TV then quickly flips through her Luther Vandross tour paperwork. Her hands shake as she gives her son her weekend itinerary with her flight and hotel information, contact numbers. Candace felt so confident she was making the right decision when she signed the contract. She wanted to rid her mind of all the negativity she felt that had prevented her from moving forward. She knew the constant scrutiny of her past is what stopped her from pursuing a relationship with another man. 

 “I can’t back out now. This is business.” She tosses him her official backstage lament.

TO BE CONTINUED …

Read Last Dance With My Father Part 1

Read Last Dance With My Father Part 3

In honor of Luther Vandross’s 70th birthday on April 20, 2021, Max Szadek shares an excerpt of his Luther jukebox musical idea, ‘Last Dance With My Father,’ which focuses on a group of fictitious female backing vocalists’ lives and loves.
Synopsis: A son’s ultimatum on Father’s Day causes his mother, one of Luther Vandross’s vocalists, to reunite with her former bandmates for a Luther Tribute Concert after a twenty-year absence. Old rivalries, secrets, and heartaches threaten to break up their perfect harmony.
Daily links will be posted on Divabetic.Org and the Quiet Storm Fans FB page. There’s also a Last Dance With My Father playlist on Spotify.
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Divabetic Healthy Swap: Greek Yogurt for Sour Cream

Make cutting calories a little easier with this easy and flavorful substitute!
Maryann Nicolay MEd, NDTR shared how she makes an easy swap using Greek Yogurt instead of Sour Cream on Thursday’s free Divabetic Zoom program.
 
Greek Yogurt has fewer calories, less fat, and more protein and calcium.
 
Nonfat Greek Yogurt has approximately 130 calories per cup, 1 gram of fat, and 8 grams of carbohydrates. Regular Greek Yogurt has about 300 calories, 23 grams of fat, and 7 grams of carbohydrates per 1-cup serving. One cup of sour cream (even low-fat) has many more calories than Greek yogurt! One cup of reduced-fat sour cream has approximately 400 calories, 32 grams of fat, and 16 grams of carbohydrates.
 
We ran to the store on Friday morning to give this swap a test spin. It turns out Greek Yogurt and Sour Cream taste super similar too! It wasn’t weird tasting at all.
“What I love about Maryann’s swap is it’s so sly that you can sneak it past your inner saboteur,” says Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. “There’s no taste deprivation, and it’s easy!
 
For swapping a dollop of Sour Cream on your baked potato, nachos, or chili, a 1-to-1 ratio for non-fat-free Greek Yogurt will do the trick. Add Greek yogurt to dressings or dips as a substitute for Sour Cream too.
 
Save the date for Divabetic’s next free Zoom program in June.

Divabetic’s Luther Vandross Tribute podcast guests include Lisa Fischer, Jason Miles, Jeff James, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Chuck Flowers.

By the time Luther Vandross headed to the studio to record his fifth album Give Me the Reason in 1986, he’d become one of the most successful soul singers of the first half of the eighties. His four previous albums have been either certified platinum or double-platinum in America.

For Luther Vandross’ fifth album Give Me the Reason, the album comprised nine tracks including the hits: So Amazing, There’s Nothing Better Than Love, Stop To Love and Give Me The Reason.

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.

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Last Dance With My Father (Part 1 of 3)

“Are you running away, Mom?” Mark Crenshaw rubs his eyes awake. Behind his mother, he can see it’s 12:15 AM on the clock on the nightstand. He eyes her suspiciously, standing in her bedroom doorway of their modest home in the San Fernando Valley. 

“What?” Candace jumps from the sound of her eighteen-year-old son’s voice. Once again, her son manages to sneak up on her without her noticing. When he was younger, he did that a lot. She reasoned, without a father, he needed constant reassurance his only living relative was alright.  

Fortunately, for Mark’s sake, Candace Crenshaw has never given her son reason to worry until now. Her unshakeable self-confidence was shattered a few days earlier when one of her music students, a young boy, was a fatal school shooting victim. Since then, she is jumpy, anxious, and on edge. “Remain calm,” Candace tells herself. She isn’t ashamed of what he caught her doing as much as she is scared. After all, the weekend trip she is packing for isn’t for her, it’s for him. This is something she should have done a long time ago. 

Eighteen years earlier, the day after discovering she was pregnant, Candace cut off all ties with her past and ran away to Los Angeles. In quick succession, she needed to make things happen. Find an apartment in a good area. Enroll in college to get a music education degree. Join a church. Find a doctor. After Mark’s birth and with her degree in hand, she got a job teaching music at a public high school. Her passion for teaching caught the eyes of several administrators at nearby schools and she soon transferred to a school with a more extensive music program. The salary increase from switching jobs allowed her to purchase a small two-bedroom bungalow in the Valley where she and her son reside today. In those early days, she only had time to take care of her son, go to school, work odd jobs, and repeat it again the following day. She held firm to her goal to provide a safe, stable environment for her son. The pride she felt in the making over her life she held on to like a badge of honor.

Now her baby was this tall, self-assured young man standing before her. The dark clouds she saw reflected in his large brown eyes did not comfort her. She could see the wheels spinning in his head, questioning her actions. “What are you doing up?” she snaps back. She thought he was sleeping when she started to pack, but maybe her music was too loud. She always loses herself in Luther, especially listening to Dance With My Father. But the last thing she needs is for her son to start giving her the third degree. Her nerves are already shot from the tragedy. 

“Why don’t you tell me first.” He points to the mountain of clothes on top of her bed.

“If I’m running away, then I’d better get a bigger suitcase to pack your stuff too.” She lets out a  nervous laugh. Candace looks down at her suitcase struggling to remain calm. She fully intends to tell him about her trip after she returns. Right now isn’t the right time or place. She doesn’t know the outcome of her trip yet, so there’s no guarantee she can protect him. The thought of her son being vulnerable, like the boy who died, terrifies her. She has to steer their conversation in a different direction. The school counselors caution parents to explore rather than ignore their children’s random thoughts and questions using clear, concise communications. 

“I’m packing for the coping conference this weekend I told you about.” But when her son’s expression makes it clear he doesn’t buy her explanation, she attempts to turn the tables on him. “I know that look on your face. Should I guess what you’re thinking, or are you going to tell me?” 

“Destiny’s Mom doesn’t know about your conference,” he says with air quotes. “I asked her earlier. So what’s really going on?”

Her mother’s intuition warned her that Mark would ask Destiny’s mother, Sheila, the nurse at her school, about her trip. These days Mark spends most of his time at Destiny’s house. She gives him her prepared explanation. “It’s for teachers. The Board of Education has one for school nurses in a few weeks. Are you okay? You should be sleeping.”

His eyes soften as he looks at her. “The whole town feels like it’s in a daze.” He looks over to his Mom. “Starting with you.”

When Luther’s rendition of Superstar fills the room, Candace starts humming along as she debates to herself whether or not to pack a black cardigan sweater. Deep in thought, it takes a minute for her to realize Mark has stopped talking. She turns to look at him. 

“Sorry. Luther’s voice had me thinking about how love had the power to put people in a daze, not violence. People fell in love and celebrated love at Luther’s concerts. Even couples with problems got swept up in his music. Their troubles melted away as soon as he began to sing.”

“Can you feel something for someone you don’t even know?” 

“I think so.” Candace tries to keep her voice calm. 

“That’s how I feel.”

Candace nods in agreement. Every night since the shooting, she lies awake thinking about the potential dangers lurking outside her front door. She was lucky nothing happened to Mark. But what about next time? She shakes away the thought from her mind.

“Come here, and give me a hug.” 

Candace sighs and goes back to packing for her trip. From her bed, Mark watches his mother grab a plain understated business suit out from her closet. She looks at it, shakes her head, and puts it back. Unsure of what to pack for her trip, Candace keeps changing her mind about what she should pack. She takes out every item from her bag and starts over. Her actions make her son very nervous. Her graceful gestures, the ones honed for years from dance lessons, are gone. She appears clumsy and jittery at best. 

“I have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear. How can that be possible?” Frustrated, she accidentally slams a dresser drawer shut, and it catches her finger. She screams in pain. 

“Maybe I shouldn’t go. We haven’t spent much time together lately.”

His mother’s behavior is so atypical. Usually, Candace is usually decisive, grounded and reserved. She is her son’s rock. 

“I’ve been busy. Here, let me help.” As Mark gets up to help her, a greeting card slips out of the pocket of his sweatpants. Mark picks it up, hands it to his mother. 

“This is for you, Mom.” 

Candace looks up from the envelope and smiles. Opening the envelope slowly, she finds a Father’s Day card inside. Her shoulders relax. She grabs her reading glasses off the nearby dresser, then gently pulls out the card and opens it. Candace reads aloud the message inside. Her son writes: 

To the best Dad, a son can have. I love you, Mom! Mark.

Candace pushes clothes aside and scoots beside her son on the bed. She feels a lump in her throat as they glimpse at the muted TV screen. There’s a news flash of the shooting in front of their eyes. She turns to Mark. 

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned this week, it’s that life is precious. Promise me – do the things that make your heart sing. Don’t let yourself settle for less.”

“Like the way you did when you toured with Luther?”

“This moment right now is what makes my heart sing.” 

Yesterday she offered words of comfort to the victims’ parents and classmates. Who would comfort her if something happened to Mark? Or what if something happened to her? How would her son cope with the loss? She is both his mother and father. They are each other’s worlds. 

“I heard you singing to the Power Of Love (Love Power) when I was at your door.” 

 “Did I sound like my touring days were a long, long time ago?”

“Nah, You still sound just like you do on the record, Dad.” 

The word ‘Dad’ sticks in his throat. Deep down in his heart, Mark’s burning desire is to know who his father is or was. 

“Doesn’t the guy pictured on your card look like Luther?”

 At the mention of Luther’s name, Candace presses Mark’s card against her chest. She comments, “Both of you have such beautiful penmanship. Your swirls and curves are just like Luther’s.”  

“So, I take after my father?”

 Candace looks up from the card. “There you go again, talking nonsense.”

“Why else did you teach me his songs when I was growing up? It has to be him.” Mark looks at her intently. He wants his mother to confirm what he is sure he already knows. The legendary R & B icon Luther Vandross is his father. The father he has never met. She constantly compares the two, like she just did. Why can’t she just admit it? 

“Stop saying that! People will get the wrong impression.” 

“Then, why don’t you tell me who he is?”

“According to you, I am.” She points to the card. “You said so yourself. Now, move your behind so your father can finish packing her clothes and go to sleep.” 

“You always say his music is responsible for making babies. I must be one of those babies, right?”

TO BE CONTINUED …

Read Last Dance With My Father Part 2 

Read Last Dance With My Father Part 3

In honor of Luther Vandross’s 70th birthday on April 20, 2021, Max Szadek shares an excerpt of his Luther jukebox musical idea, ‘Last Dance With My Father,’ which focuses on a group of fictitious female backing vocalists’ lives and loves.
Synopsis: A son’s ultimatum on Father’s Day causes his mother, one of Luther Vandross’s vocalists, to reunite with her former bandmates for a Luther Tribute Concert after a twenty-year absence. Old rivalries, secrets, and heartaches threaten to break up their perfect harmony.
Daily links will be posted on Divabetic.Org and the Quiet Storm Fans FB page. There’s also a Last Dance With My Father playlist on Spotify.
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Give Me The Reason To Take A Diabetes Diagnosis Seriously

Luther Vandross had a very public battle with his weight throughout his life. As someone who worked closely with him, I witnessed the profound, painful emotional toll resulting from yo-yo dieting cycles. Looking back, I see now that it was really a cry for help when Luther joked about his weight. People might not put food addiction in the same category as drug addiction or alcoholism, but it is just as deadly. I am still haunted by images of finding my boss, a strong, powerful, and talented man, on the floor after suffering a debilitating stroke. When people refer to diabetes as ‘a touch of sugar,’ I shake my head. Mismanaged diabetes is as deadly as a white shark or tiger and as menacing as a tsunami. You’re fooling yourself if you think it’s not (I know I was).

Divabetic’s latest Luther Vandross Tribute podcast features music from his fifth studio album, Give Me The Reason album, released in 1986. Luther appears slim and svelte on the album cover, sparking thoughtful discussions about Luther’s weight as well as his musical legacy.

 

Divabetic’s Luther Vandross Tribute podcast guests include Lisa Fischer, Jason Miles, Jeff James, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Chuck Flowers.

By the time Luther Vandross headed to the studio to record his fifth album Give Me the Reason in 1986, he’d become one of the most successful soul singers of the first half of the eighties. His four previous albums have been either certified platinum or double-platinum in America.

For Luther Vandross’s fifth album Give Me the Reason, the album comprised nine tracks including the hits: So Amazing, There’s Nothing Better Than Love, Stop To Love, and Give Me The Reason.

When Give Me the Reason was released it reached number fourteen in the US Billboard 200 and number one in the US R&B Charts. In the United Kingdom, Give Me the Reason became Luther’s most successful album, reaching number three and was certified double-platinum.

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.

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High Insulin Costs Are Killing Americans

After losing his job and insurance, Jeremy Crawford, 39, struggled to afford the insulin he needed to survive. He tried using Walmart insulin (retailing for $25), but it didn’t work well. 

Some politicians like to point to Walmart-price insulins and say that there are low-cost alternatives. However, Walmart insulins just don’t perform nearly as well as the more expensive insulins. Insulins are not interchangeable as some industry leaders would like us to believe. Switching insulins can negatively affect the health of people with diabetes, making blood sugar mangement more irregular and raising A1C scores.

As Jeremey got sicker, he resisted calling 911 to get the help he needed because he could not afford it. He died from diabetic ketoacidosis.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening problem that affects people with diabetes. It occurs when the body starts breaking down fat at a rate that is much too fast. The liver processes the fat into a fuel called ketones, which causes the blood to become acidic.

We are shedding light on the tragic consequences of rationing insulin and DKA on Divabetic’s upcoming mystery podcast, A Christmas Peril, debuting in September 2021. Our most popular podcast’s cozy mystery format allows us to reach a broader audience to raise awareness for these critical issues.

No one with diabetes should die because they can’t afford their insulin. 

The Right Care Alliance (RCA) is a grassroots coalition of clinicians, patients, and community members organizing to make health care institutions accountable to communities and put patients, not profits, at the heart of health care.

LEARN MORE – GET INVOLVED 

 

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New Initiatives Address Health Equity For People Of Color Living With Diabetes

This year’s World Health Day focus is on global health equity.

Major companies are making strides to support health equity for people of color living with diabetes in the U.S.. These companies investing in partnerships with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and T1DExchange and conducting research to better understand and address these inequities.

For example, Medtronic will be donating $1 million to the ADA’s Technology Access Project (TAP) over the next three years, as well as working with T1D Exchange to support an upcoming quality improvement study. Medtronic will also be supporting research initiatives to improve glycemic control in African American youth with type 1 diabetes who have not previously used technology such as insulin pumps.

Luther fan Kitt V. joins us on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast to discuss the challenges he faces living with type 2 diabetes. Coincidentally, one issue is that his insurance denies coverage for a Bluetooth blood glucose monitoring system. Kitt doesn’t check his blood sugars regularly because he is tired of pricking his fingers. The no-fingerstick way to track glucose levels 24/7, as advertised on TV, seems to be a great solution to his problem. 

Some insurance companies deny coverage for Continuous Glucose Monitors CGM based on the device used to collect data, such as a smartphone app or tablet. If patients use their smartphone at all, even alongside the receiver, Medicare won’t pay.

What can you do?

Ask your doctor to take a look over your records, then resubmit your claim on your behalf. Sometimes devices are not covered because “hypoglycemic unawareness” wasn’t listed.

Find out if your doctor can write you a letter of medical necessity for the supplies or device. This is important to try to get done ASAP as it will help strengthen your argument for coverage.

Diabetes is an expensive chronic disease to manage. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), healthcare costs are 2.3 times greater for people with diabetes. Many Americans living with diabetes struggle to pay for essential medications and supplies, even those who have insurance. 

Other guests on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast include Lisa Fischer, Jason Miles, Jeff James, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Chuck Flowers. 

By the time Luther Vandross headed to the studio to record his fifth album Give Me the Reason in 1986, he’d become one of the most successful soul singers of the first half of the eighties. His four previous albums have been either certified platinum or double-platinum in America.

For Luther Vandross’s fifth album Give Me the Reason, the album comprised nine tracks including the hits: So Amazing, There’s Nothing Better Than Love, Stop To Love and Give Me The Reason.

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.

 

 

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