Relationship Reflection

Each one of us is shaped by the people in our lives that we interact with, some on a daily basis some less frequently. I have at times felt like I am an island all alone in my journey but when I look and reflect I know that I have so many relationships that help me along the road. Some I interact with daily and others less frequently but they are still important to not only my professional journey, but also my personal journey.

My husband and partner is life is one of the most positive relationships that I have, he is my sounding board and know when I need him to be a coach or a cheerleader and supports me in all decisions that I make. He provides constructive criticism and keeps my spirits up when I am feeling overwhelmed. This relationship has taken years to develop and nourish with open communicative and while we have struggled and had many growing pains we have always found common ground in our love and respect for another. 

My children are another positive relationship that has continually grown and evolved throughout the years, from tiny babies to adulthood my relationship with them has changed based on what they needed from me and what I could provide. As a parent it is hard always keep positive and support you children when they are challenging you at every turn, but after each period of disequilibrium come balance and peace. It is the knowledge that they will be at peace and will one day understand why I said no, or required a certain action from them that allows me to push forward and strive to maintain a relationship with my children. I once told someone that it is the parent's responsibility to seek their child out and meet them where they are, I have found that this is true for all relationships. Each of my children have different needs from me on different days and I need to be available to them and try (I may not always succeed) to meet their needs.

In my professional life I have a team  of teachers that I can look to for support, suggestions, and collaboration.The staff and I have the same goals which is to provide the highest quality care and education to the families we serve, they cannot do it without me and I cannot do it without them. This is a partnership and while my interactions with each of them are different and unique it is important that they are treated equally and with the same level of respect. 

Working with a variety of personalities and often times struggling to put my own personal agenda aside has allowed me to be able to work with families in order to be their coach or cheerleader, maintain open communication, meet them where they are and treat all of them with the same level of respect.