Juicebox Podcast #1639 – "Heavy, Part 2" (September 29, 2025)

Host: Scott Benner
Guest: B
Theme: Emotional Realities, Reflections, and Strategies in Parenting and Living with Type 1 Diabetes

Brief Overview

In this deeply reflective episode, Scott Benner and guest B continue their candid exploration of the emotional landscape of living with and parenting a child with Type 1 Diabetes. The conversation moves beyond practical diabetes management into the complexities of parental guilt, fear, acceptance, family dynamics, and personal growth. They trade stories about setting healthy foundations, the lifelong nature of parental worry, the challenge of setting and releasing expectations, and the unpredictable paths of living with a chronic condition. Scott and B also discuss the impact of community, vulnerability, and finding meaning—even in roles neither would have chosen.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting Foundations and Letting Go (02:25–03:32)

• B’s Perspective: As a parent, B feels responsible to manage her child’s diabetes well while she can, so when her son eventually takes over, he’ll have a good foundation rather than starting at a deficit.
  • "I’m taking it on myself to try to manage it as well as I can at this point. So when it’s his turn, he’s not starting from just over the hill of a complication... Mom gave me a really, really good foundation." — B [02:25]
• Scott’s Perspective: Cautions that health isn’t something you can bank for later, but understands the sentiment. He shares that his daughter Arden is skilled at self-management, though the emotional and practical burden remains persistent.
  • "You can't really bank health for later, but sure, I take your point... I've never seen Arden ignore diabetes ever. And like that, in and of itself, I think, is a major win." — Scott [03:32]

2. The Unending Parental Role and Rebellion (03:32–06:24)

• Scott likens the parent–child dynamic around diabetes to other forms of youthful repression and rebellion, fearing that one day diabetes itself might become the focal point for rebellion.
  • "At some point, they're going to get to the part where they're like, I have to plant my flag in the ground and become a human being... What happens when it's this, not the diabetes? Please pick something else." — Scott [05:46]

3. Value and Role of Therapy (06:24–07:17)

• B asks if therapy is needed for children who grow up with diabetes.
• Scott believes it depends on the individual, but is open to it, especially since the parent–child diabetes dynamic is so consuming and he never wanted that for his relationship.
  • "If it would be valuable to you, then it is... I wish you could have gone and found me when I was 25 and said to me, hey, you know, would you be super excited to learn a lot about type 1 diabetes and talk to a kid about it every day? And I wouldn't have been." — Scott [06:44]

4. Ambivalence and Grieving the Life Unchosen (07:17–09:25)

• Scott reflects on the bittersweetness of his advocacy—helping many, yet not wanting to be in this role at all.
  • "I don't want to be the guy that does this. Yeah, this sucks... I don't want to be involved in this every day, you know? But... you don't get to pick what happens to you. You get to pick how you respond." — Scott [08:00]

5. Universal Parenting and Cycles of Understanding (09:25–12:23)

• The hosts note that every parent/child dynamic revolves, in some way, around misunderstanding, the struggle for independence, and delayed appreciation.
  • "We're all having an interaction with our parents right now, or as parents, that is following this exact same path. It's just the details are a little different." — Scott [09:25]
• B notes those reflective "I see it now" moments often come later in life, usually after children themselves become parents.
  • "None of that helps in the moment. You know what I mean? I do believe it's true. I do think we'll wake up one day..." — Scott [10:18]

6. Naming the Heaviness, Accepting Emotion (12:02–13:10)

• Both hosts acknowledge the conversation is heavier and more reflective than expected but agree on the importance of sitting with these feelings.
  • "Heavy is a good word... It does weigh a bit, for sure. So, yeah, I like the heavy." — B [12:00]

7. Community Encounters and Serendipity (15:41–18:41)

• Scott shares a powerful story from the Friends for Life conference where a chance meeting at a hotel pool reinforces the reach of his podcast and the impact of diabetes community.
  • "He pulls up his shirt... he's wearing a CGM, and he says, I have type 1 diabetes... And his wife looks at me and says, what's the podcast called? And I said, Juicebox. And she goes, my mom also has type 1, she listens to your podcast." — Scott [17:12]

8. Measuring Success—Stories vs. Numbers (31:35–34:33)

• Scott talks about shifting how he measures success—from chart numbers and analytics to the individual stories and connections he hears from listeners.
  • "I'm going to start measuring my success by those people and how happy they are and how healthy they are and not about those numbers." — Scott [34:12]

9. Self-Deprecation, Insecurity, and Authenticity (35:26–42:37)

• B encourages Scott to stop minimizing his work because of his academic background.
• Scott reflects that his lifelong self-deprecation comes from being a fat kid and a way to relate without seeming elitist. He reveals insecurities and shares a rare personal fact—his IQ is very high but he’s self-conscious about his lack of formal education and knowledge gaps.
  • "I barely graduated from high school. I've taken one college course... There's something about this self-deprecating humor that I think honestly just connects to how I looked growing up and how I felt about that." — Scott [36:16]
  • "I have a really, really high IQ, but I don't know anything... I'm smart enough to know that I'm... I think I'm smart enough to know about the things I don't understand. And that stops you from being very confident sometimes. Does that make sense?" — Scott [41:09]

10. The Power and Necessity of Feeling Emotions (29:06–30:22)

• Both reflect on the importance of feeling and expressing emotion, embracing vulnerability (especially as men/fathers) rather than bottling it up.
  • "I want to feel it. Do you know what I mean?" — Scott [29:43]
  • "You're not supposed to bottle all of that inside. I think that causes additional issues and disease and all that." — B [29:55]

11. Full-Circle Parental Worry (23:20–25:34)

• They laugh over parental habits repeating through generations—mothers worrying about children even as adults and the inability for parents to ever truly let go.
  • "My mom is still like, why are you going over here?... I'm like, almost 40 years old. I think I can drive myself there and get back." — B [23:21]
  • "I watched it with my mom... She got older and older and older and just kept worrying about us..." — Scott [24:24]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Acceptance and Self-Reflection:
  • "You don't get to pick what happens to you. You get to pick how you respond to it." — Scott [08:00]
• On Worry and Parenting:
  • "Once you're a parent, you worry every day and it doesn't stop. Like, I think that's the thing. Like, I think I have mom guilt." — Scott [23:19]
• On Community Validation:
  • "There were so many people standing in front of me that they were going across the aisle to the booth on the other side..." — Scott [31:11]
• On Measuring Impact:
  • "I’m going to try to take those numbers and put them in a part of my brain that's just the business side... Those numbers are not who I am. I think those people's stories are who I am, if that makes sense." — Scott [34:18]
• On Self-Esteem:
  • "I finally look like a regular person. I wasn't thin, I wasn't fat, I wasn't ugly, I wasn't handsome. I just looked like everybody else." — Scott [38:53]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:25: B discusses setting up her son with a healthy diabetes management foundation.
• 03:32: Scott and B reflect on parental control, rebellion, and the risk of diabetes being the target for adolescent pushback.
• 06:24: Therapy and processing burnout for kids (and parents) with diabetes.
• 07:17: Scott’s ambivalence about the advocacy role thrust upon him.
• 09:25: Scott on the universality of parental dynamics.
• 12:02: Naming the episode's emotional "heaviness".
• 15:41: Friends for Life/serendipity hotel encounter.
• 31:35: The power of real-life community feedback versus podcast metrics.
• 35:26: B questions Scott’s self-deprecation, and he opens up about his background and insecurities.
• 38:53: Scott’s reflection on self-image and acceptance after seeing his own reflection.
• 41:09: Scott reveals his high IQ and discomfort with it.
• 29:43: Acceptance of emotional vulnerability.

Tone and Language

• The episode is raw, compassionate, honest, and at times, humorously self-deprecating, true to Scott’s conversational style.
• Both participants are openly vulnerable, exploring the messy emotional terrain that comes with chronic illness in the family.
• Scott balances his signature levity with moments of profound candor about guilt, regret, and adaptation.

Closing Appreciations

• B gives Scott “his flowers”: "Thank you for your podcast and thank you for sharing the different stories that you share and just being vulnerable with what you share and how you present yourself on the podcast." — B [27:27]
• Scott is moved and uncharacteristically not joking: "I'm not even going to say something stupid because that meant a lot to me and I am really feeling this all today." — Scott [28:14]

Summary Takeaways

• Parenting a child with diabetes is complex, emotionally taxing, and full of “heavy” moments.
• Success isn’t just measured in numbers or easy answers but in the resilience, empathy, and community built through honest conversation and support.
• Vulnerability, emotional honesty, and mutual support are vital tools in handling the stresses of diabetes—both for kids and adults.
• It’s okay to sit with difficult emotions, to feel “heavy,” and even to cry on air—these connections, struggles, and insights are where real growth and understanding reside.

For those navigating diabetes, parenting, or just the unpredictability of life, this episode is a heartfelt companion, full of empathy, shared vulnerability, and hope.