Meet Lindsay Long
We all have women in our life that we admire. Women who have different backgrounds, experiences, family situations, and dreams for the future. It’s so important as women that we empathize with and surround each other to learn how to be better at the most important job ever - motherhood. This week, I’m telling you about my friend Lindsay Long.
I met Lindsay on the tennis courts. She ran up to me and said, “I’m supposed to meet you!” If you know Lindsay, you know. She’s bouncing around and her hands are waving. Naturally, I froze. :) I must have looked like a deer in headlights! If you know me, you know! Haha! We had recently joined Sawgrass Country Club, and so did the Long’s. Our mutual friend, Lucy, knew we would hit it off and encouraged us to meet up. Well, that finally happened at a tennis bootcamp! We played a ton of tennis that summer and enjoyed afternoons at the beach. It’s hard to believe it’s been three years.
She is now one of my favorite people and a pretty amazing mom. Let me tell you more about her, then you’ll see some questions I asked her.
Lindsay has three kiddos, Evan (12), Ellie (8), and Adelyn (5). Her son, Even, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was six. Having a child that needs extra attention is always hard. The ups and downs of him growing, waking up at night needing juice or a dose to stabilize blood sugar, managing it while he’s in school...it’s tough! I remember being on the court with her during tennis matches when she received a notification via her watch that Evan’s numbers were high, and she had to immediately call the school nurse. Last year, his pod (what sends signals to her that his blood sugar is either high or low) malfunctioned, and he ended up in the hospital. Anyone who has a child with Type 1 knows the struggle.
She works part time as a speech therapist working with children in St. Johns County schools. Her bubbly personality and work ethic make her excellent at her job. She’s married to Brad, who is coming to the end of a more than 20-year career in the Navy. It’s a tough life...having/raising babies while your husband is on deployment. Her best friend Amy definitely gets a shout-out here because she wouldn’t have made it through the deployments if Amy wasn’t there to help. I love how God gives us exactly what we need to keep us floating...I’ve gotten to know Amy over the past few years, and she really is amazing!
I see so much resilience and positivity in Lindsay knowing what she’s been through and how she faces problems. I love going to her when I’m struggling because I know what I will get; honesty, compassion, and encouragement.
I sent a few questions to her recently so you all could get to know her better.
What’s hard about this season (meaning what’s hard about where your kids are now)?
I believe the most challenging thing about this season of life is time management. Having three kids involved in activities throughout the school year can be a bit chaotic. Our family values time spent together so managing hectic schedules and family time is often hard. Also, it is a season to have a little more free time for myself. Going back to work this year has had it’s challenges but it has also been super rewarding to get back out there and use my degree.
Evan has diabetes, how does that impact your life day to day?
Evan was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 6. This chronic illness doesn’t take any time of the day off and impacts our lives everyday. Brad or I need to always be on call during the school day to answer any question the nurse might have or come in to complete an insulin pump change/etc. Luckily, we have seen such positive changes with technology and diabetes over the past six years that we are able to make decisions and get in touch with Evan quickly.
How is Evan coping now that he is in middle school?
Middle school is such an awkward and exciting time! Evan is enjoying his new found freedom of being responsible for his schoolwork and is doing really well. Mom, on the other hand, is constantly checking up on him through HAC to make sure that he is turning his assignments in on time and studying for tests. Evan has become a lot more independent with his diabetes care this year and he's able to make corrections as needed throughout the day which is great!
Does Evan’s diabetes impact Ellie and Adelyn?
The girls are very aware of Evan’s diabetes. I think that Ellie is fearful that one day she will have diabetes too and is very nervous about needles. Adelyn, walks about with a pretend cell phone and asks “how many carbs does her food items have!” She will then proceed to “dose” for her food.
How do you cope with the ups and downs of motherhood?
Motherhood is by far the hardest job that I will ever have and there are so many ups and downs during the week. I think that it is super important to understand and manage stress. For me, running is an outlet to relieve my stress and to have some time all to myself. Also, it is important to have a strong network of friends who are supportive and going through the same stage of life. It helps to be able to laugh and talk about the good and the hard days of parenting.
How does Brad support you?
Brad is just amazing. He is always willing to just jump in and help out in any way that he can with the kids. Whether it is cooking or helping one of the kids with a project! He is the calm in our crazy life and helps keep us all centered.
Brad has a pretty big job himself, how do you guys work together to make family a priority?
Family has always been our number one focus. Every decision we make together, we have our family in the forefront of our decision. Brad is in the military so moves are inevitable. We have always put our family first and figured out where would be the best place to live based on schools, family support, and medical care needs for Evan.
Cheers, Lindsay. You were one of my first real friends here. Your positivity and zest for life drew me in. Your advice, steadiness, and dedication to those you love is worth more than gold.