Relationship Reflection
To be human, is to be social. It is natural for us, as humans, to form relationships with someone or something, whether it is a family member, friend, or animal. We need that love and reciprocation of love. On the sidebar of my blog are photos of my family members that I grew up with. Some of my very most important relationships come from my childhood: mom, dad, sister, grandparents, and now nieces and nephews!
Growing up and now:
My mother was there for me regardless of right or wrong. She supported me in my music and dance even when it was financially difficult. She encouraged me to pursue my passions and helped me up when I failed. My mother has always had unconditional love for me! I always looked up to my only sister, Jennifer, who was 5 1/2 yrs older than me. She was the best babysitter and she used to play school, barbies, and whatever else I could convince her to do. Jennifer was an amazing role model for me in early childhood education. She taught me to make learning fun and she always enjoyed working with children. My grandmother, Helen, was an inspiration, not only as a teacher, but also as a professional woman of her time. She owned and operated the Southwest Child Care Learning Center from 1954 through 1992. She deeply cared about the welfare and education of more than 4,000 children. She left a life-long impression on all the children in her care and all the people whose lives she touched. At one time, she was the president of the Topeka Preschool Association and Woman of the Year for the American Business Women's Association. She was a true pioneer in the early Childhood field. She passed away in 2004, but she definitely had an impact in my life! I spent many summers at my grandparents house and my grandmother, Wava taught me many good lessons, moral values, and to be true to myself. Each of the people that I discussed helped to influence and shape my life in different ways. These are only a few of the people in my childhood, but they each have their own special meaning in my heart!
My biggest supporter:
I wanted to highlight someone in my life who has had a huge impact on the person that I am today. He does not get near as much credit as he should. I met Kevin, my husband, when I was 18 years old. He was a soldier and I had no idea what I was getting myself into (marrying into the military). We got married very young (19 & 20) and I became a teacher’s aide at a preschool. I was very content being an aide and thinking that this is what I would do with the rest of my life. My husband is the one that pushed me to pursue my education. I went for the CDA and then spent 6 year pursuing a bachelor’s degree and now a masters. He kept pushing me to see more in myself than I thought was possible. I would not be where I am today without him!!! We have had a wonderful marriage, but it did not happen without a lot of tears, fears, and many words (some we would like to forget!). We are both stubborn and hard headed and this has made our slightest differences into the biggest arguments! We are not perfect, but we have learned to better communicate with each other and other relationships with others. Our relationship has taught us about being open, honest, and respectful of others’ opinions. The biggest challenge being in a military family is that my husband is always gone. Learning to keep up communication without physical presence is huge and beneficial to my work with other people. My husband has been gone for over 4 ½ years out of the last 7 years. We have been married for 10 ½ years and spent 2 anniversaries together and a handful of birthdays and holidays as well. Yet, we manage to remain best friends and supportive partners to each other. He is truly my better half and my one true love! I thank God everyday for being so lucky to have such a wonderful family!!!
"Love asks me no questions, and gives me endless support." - William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
"Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction." - Antoine De Saint-Exupery (1900-1944)
"Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction." - Antoine De Saint-Exupery (1900-1944)
