I look at my life like a house, it needs several things in order to stay standing and weather any storm that comes my way. The first support in any house is the foundation, for me this is my husband. He is my foundation, I lean on him so often both physically and emotionally. He is my second half, he anticipates sometimes before me. My husband and I have been apart more often this year then ever before and I have wavered more and come through storms a little more beaten then when he is by my side.
On top of the foundation is the the frame for me the frame is my assistant. She lays out the structure of my day, sets my appointments and is the keeper of my schedule. She knows when to and when not to set appointments. She handles little details of my day and keeps me organized. Without her I end my day more tired and disheveled.
Then we have the plumbing and wiring this in my technology that allows me to complete my day. I rely on email and phone calls as a means of conducting business. Email connects me to parents and families. Busy families need to be able to quickly communicate and receive replies when I lose my technology I struggle with my day to day operations.
The other parts of the house that is my life are the walls,my morning routine is a key part of my day and sets the tone for the rest of it, each morning I walk the dog, workout, prepare my meals for the day and spend time looking over my schedule and making notes on how to tackle each item. When I do not have the time to complete these task I am a little off during the day. It is hard to describe, but when my morning is off the whole day is off.
Every good home needs comfort, and I am no different, my dog and cats are a huge comfort and support to me. Walking the dog in the evening grounds me and reconnects me to home after my day at work. When I am stressed or overwhelmed my cats know to come and curl up on me and help me to relax and unwind.
Each of these are important supports to me and I need each of them to create a support system that allows me to make it through each and everyday.
Tamera,
ReplyDeleteI LOVED the analogy between the house and your supports. This painted a very vivid image in my mind! My husband was also one of my supports. I did not even think about technology. That would have to be added to my list! I am constantly making calls, messaging, and emailing. What did I do without it before? You mentioned that you have a very specific routine in the morning. This made me think about uor children and how some of them rely on those routines and become very out of sync if those routines are thrown off. It makes a person more empathetic if they are routine oriented too. What was the one challenge you imagined yourself with?
Heather, Great insight into the children we serve and understanding that there are some children who need their routine to remain consistent and when there is a change it can be throw a wrench in the whole day.
DeleteMy biggest challenge is myself and my own fear that I won't be perfect, my husband provides the most support to me in this aspect of my life. He reassures me when I need it and gives me a strong dose of reality and that I am human and am not always going to be able to juggle everything.
Hi Tamera,
DeleteI especially enjoyed learning about your supports. I really like the comparison you make to a house, the important people in your life as being the foundation and the frame of the house. Together these daily supports make great contributions in organizing, and being part of a support system.
I thought the metaphor of the house was spot-on. You really need all these things to come together, otherwise everything falls to ruin. I can relate to the morning routine as well. Getting up on the wrong side of the bed can really affect my decisions that day.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you compared your supports to a house and its foundation. I too have a husband to lean on daily. I think it is great that your husband knows what you need even before you do. I am sure that it has been hard while he is away. It sounds like you get continued support from your pets. I love how your cats know when you need to cuddle. My son keeps asking me for a dog and I haven't given in yet. I am a dog person I am just not ready to tackle getting my house pet friendly again. I too rely on my co-worker to keep me on task. We are complete opposites but I feel that is what makes it work for us. Support systems are needed in our daily living. It is nice to know that someone has our backs.
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