Saturday, February 13, 2016

My Supports

The factors within my environment that are supportive of me are my family, friends, and co-workers.  My husband is my biggest supporter.  We met in 1999, and he has been there for me every since. We don't have any family in Georgia.  All of our family live in Alabama.  That doesn't stop my family from being there for me.  My family will travel to Georgia for any occasion.  If they're not able to travel, they are readily available by phone.  My friends have been very supportive over the years.  I have a lot of friendships that I have developed over the years.  I consider this friends like family.  The friendships I have developed here in Georgia are stronger than some of the ones I grew up with in Alabama.  By me not having family here, a lot of the holidays and special occasions are spent with friends.  These friendships have made me stronger because they taught me to trust people outside of my family.  That was hard for me because as an only child it was hard for me to trust people.  My mom always taught me to take care of myself, and not to depend on anyone.  My co-workers are also very supportive.  The field of education can be stressful at time.  We are overworked and underpaid.  If it wasn't for the teachers and administrators that I have met along the way, I honestly would be in another field.  I have to remember the students are my ultimate reason, and that's what keep me going. I honestly don't think I could exist without these supporters because the encouragement is what keeps me on track.  I would definitely be in a bad space without my husband, family, and friends.  The challenge I chose to imagine was trying to live in another country without any kind of support.  I think this would be hard.  I often think about what my life would be like if I had to raise my children by myself, and I honestly don't know how it would be done.  I look at mothers who have more than two children, and they seem like they balance everything with ease.  My two girls keep me busy so I can't even imagine.  I am thankful to have support.  I know the support and advice is what gets me through each day.