My Supports

Human relationships are based on reciprocal support and mutual benefit.   We have something to gain from each other; it may be a service such as purchasing groceries or going to the doctor or it may be emotional such as having someone to listen.

In my life, I see my supports as either professional or personal.  My professional supports include my supervisor who challenges me to continue to grow myself and my program.  My assistant is an invaluable work support; she keeps me sane some days!  Without her, my work load would be difficult to manage.  By far, the person I rely on the most professionally is someone who wears the hats of data entry, information technology, receptionist and sounding board.  Without her, my work life might often be chaotic as she helps me more than she knows! Sometimes, professional and personal supports cross over, and this is one person who definitely crosses into both sides of my life.

 In addition to my full-time position, I also teach at our local community college.  Without the support of my department chair and the college, I would not be able to meet the needs of my students or provide a relevant educational experience.  Professionally, I rely on a wide variety of people, agencies and organizations to ensure the stability and continued growth of my program.  Of course there are other material supports that allow me to do my job such as a computer or telephone.   Without my planner and electronic calendar, I would never know where I needed to be (or when) so they are essential supports for me!  My work in itself is a support.  I thoroughly enjoy what I do and I feel vital because of it.

My personal supports are what keep me going every day; they are the reason I get to have a great job and pursue my education!  My husband supports me in so many ways.  He is quiet when I need to figure something out on my own.  He challenges me with questions and conversation when I need to talk it out.  He encourages me in the pursuit of my Master’s Degree and when I have to work odd hours by running our children to soccer practice or work, he isn’t afraid of housework and will push me when I need to be pushed.  

My children are amazing; they are the best part of who I am!  They make me laugh, cry and (sometimes) scream but I need them almost as much as they need me.  All three of them support me in different ways.  My oldest lives nine hours away but is never out of my mind.  She stays in contact with us through text messages, phone calls and facebook.  She has no idea how much her younger brother and sister (and I) count on her.  Rarely a day goes by that she doesn’t make me smile.  She’s an adult now, living her own life but she is essential to the functioning of our family.  My son rarely misses an opportunity to tell me he’s proud of me which always humbles me.  He helps around the house and is a great brother to my younger daughter.  I don’t think he has any idea that in supporting her he is supporting me!  He will be a senior this year so I am supporting him in his college and life decisions just as he supports me in my education.  I am so proud to call him my son.  My youngest daughter just turned 15 and she is the most like me.  This is comforting, scary and challenging all at the same time.  Never a week goes by when she doesn’t ask me what my grade on that week’s paper is!  My children and husband are everything to me; we support each other through good times and bad!

When I just need to be a girl, I have one very close friend who I can always count on to be there to listen, laugh, cry or kick me in the seat of the pants.  She lives on the other side of the country but we remain connected through phone, e-mail and facebook.  We’ve known each other since high school so there is no one who knows me better.  We are both in school so we provide support for each other when we’re feeling overwhelmed.  We’re a force to be reckoned with in each other’s lives!   We haven’t seen each other in a long time but either one of us knows we’d be there in a minute if we had to be.

The challenge I chose to imagine is to be without a home (for whatever reason).  My home is more than a house; it is the heartbeat of my family.  It is the one place we can just be.  It’s the place where we have created the memories that sustain us.  It’s the place we have all grown up in together, children and parents alike!  In this place called “home”, we support each other by preparing and eating meals together, learning both academically and socially, building and modeling relationships and by offering mutual pride!  Could we survive without a house?  Absolutely.  It would definitely be a challenge that would test all of our relationships in unique ways.  I would like to think that we’re built to withstand anything that comes our way but this is always the one challenge that scares me the most.