I've always felt that building and being in relationships challenge us to be better. I feel that relationships give us character and show us how to treat others. Some relationships are good and some are not, but they all have a purpose; for us to learn and grow. In truth people need relationships so that they do not feel so isolated. They need to feel like they matter to someone else. Our first experiences with relationships, begin with our parents. They show us how we should trust the world and give us the blueprint for how to interact with people. I have been blessed with strong relationships in my life and I continue to learn from them all the time.
The strongest relationships I have now are with my son, my sister, two of my best friends who have known me for over 17 years. I have friends that I am coming to know and build relationships with who have also impacted my life in very meaningful ways. I have developed relationships with the children and families over the years who have come to mean so much to me. It is through these relationships that I have learned what kind of person I can become and what kind of person I really am.
My relationship with my son is the most important to me. It is through him that I exhibit the most tenacious part of my personality. I push him to be better than just average, to try his best at whatever he does, to be respectful of others and not to be afraid to make mistakes. This is how we learn, when mistakes are made. The relationship I have with my sister is very important because she is someone I look up to. She has many struggles in her life right now and I am determined to be there for her the best way I can just as she was there for me through college, the birth of my son and my separation. I rely heavily on my friends for support, comfort and fun when the time comes and they depend on me for these things as well. I try to be a support for all of the people in my life and do not like it if I cannot be there when they need me. I try hard to check on everyone and keep in contact but with people being spread out and with various schedules, it can be hard but each time I call or go back, it's like I never left.
The challenge that I am learning now is maintaining certain relationships. It's hard to keep up with someone when you don't see or speak to them often, and I don't like feeling as if I've let anyone down. I don't do well with disappointment especially if I let someone else down! I've learned that this past week. Because I pride myself on being a support for others, and it really discourages me when they can't count on me, professionally or personally.
When I think of a partnership, there is a consistent contact of give and take. Each person doing their part working towards a goal, like in marriage. I think that some partnerships need to be cultivated and some just come into being. Right now I am trying to build a partnership with the co-facilitator of the parenting classes I just started facilitating. We are getting to know each other and I am still very new at facilitating groups. I sometimes feel that I am not doing enough in our partnerships and that hinders me from being effective with our parents. I consider myself a life long learner and have learned that there is a strong passion inside of me to better serve and impact the parent that are under my care. I feel that this is what it takes to be effective when working with children and families and I am glad I finally found my passion!
