My Supports

When I first started thinking about support, I kept thinking, “Support?  I don’t need support.”  I have always been very independent and felt like I had to accomplish things on my own.  I didn’t need to ask for help because that might mean people thought I was weak or couldn’t handle the task I was given.  I, on the other hand, have always been the support for everyone else.  This is a joy in my life to help others and support them no matter the circumstance.  However, when really looking into my life, I see how I have support around me every day, every hour, every minute. 

To begin with, God has supported me and blessed me every day of my life.  He was there for my teenage years when I though no one would ever understand me.  He gave me a loving and supportive husband and gave me the understanding of what it means to be “US” and no long “I”.  When I became a mother of my son, He gave me the support we needed to be a mother/father and help to ensure I gave our son a christian foundation.  Others in my life have supported me, not that I have had to ask for support, they have just known to be there and give me support.  My husband has given me the encouragement to first go back to school 19 years ago and receive my associates degree in child development.  He then gave me the push I needed to continue to get my bachelor’s degree and now my master’s degree.  He has the patience and support that when I am locked away in a room for hours completing assignments, I know he will be waiting for me when I am done.  My son is also a great supporter for me as I continue on with my degree.  Although he isn’t as interested in hearing about my degree work because he feels he is fighting just as hard for his associates before moving forward, he still gives me a high five or pat on the back and good job when I complete my assignments.  He has also given me the understanding of knowing some of our family time has to be cut short so that I can complete my work.  My parents have supported me in many ways.  Growing up we had the joy of having piano lessons, dance lessons, in the band, swim team, diving team and any other activities we were interested in.  They were there supporting me and giving me the encouragement I needed.  I can even say that my dogs are supportive for me.  The know when I need a hug or just for them to sit by my side as I am doing work and just be.  With all my family – without their love (first and foremost) and encouragement and support, I would not be succeeding in my life and on a journey of moving forward.

I also have to say that I have such a great support system within my profession as well.  Although I work in centers daily to help teachers and directors bring up the quality in their centers, I receive the support and kindness from most all of them.  I have taken something away from every teacher and/or director/center I have worked with as a technical assistant.  I also have wonderful co-workers and supervisors who have created a very supportive work environment where we all can thrive.  I also now can say that through Walden University and all the colleagues and instructors I have met, I find a great supportive group within my profession.  Through discussions and blog post, I am learning that it is ok to ask questions and ask for support.  I appreciate you all.

If I could imagine a challenge where I might need support, it would be the challenge of being homeless.  I feel that there are so many families out there that face this challenge and I am not sure how they face this challenge as a family.  If I had to face this type of challenge with my family, I  would need support of my family to know that we could make it through anything as long as we can work together to find a solution and keep The Lord in our prayers to help us find what we need to find with this type of journey.  I would need the support of the community.  In our town we have shelters, very few, but they give a place that we could sleep and eat for a day or two.  We would also look for support from local churches and schools to help with educational needs.  The support of medical staff to help us with medications or other medical needs that might arise.  The medical profession would be a great support because we would need them to donate their time and efforts.  To me, to become homeless especially with a family, support is needed to not only take care of the everyday needs, but support would be needed to help us feel good about ourselves to know we will be able to pull ourselves out of this challenge at some point.  Without the support of others, we wouldn’t be able to eat nutritional foods, sleep well, work, go to school, or get the needed medical help.  I know there are many homeless out there that are there through no fault of there own, I know there are some out there whose actions they have chose caused them to be where there are.  However, I just would like to say to each and every person out there…no matter who you are…

We all need a little support.  It can come from a child’s laughter, a teacher’s hug, a kind word from a stranger, or from the love of your family. 

Just a quick story – it could be a kind act from a stranger – I pulled into McDonald’s the other day for breakfast…having a hard morning, I ordered and began to put my make-up on in the car…as I pulled up to pay for my breakfast, I was shocked to hear…”the lady in front of you has already paid for your breakfast.”…needless to say, I began to cry a little and waved a thank you to the lady in front of me.  Who knows why she did what she did, but that particular morning, I needed that…she supported me in ways you can’t imagine with her kindness and it is something I will never forget.