Relationship Reflection

Relationships define who we are, who we know, and who we become.  They are our most valuable possession, they are the only things in life that matter.  Relationships touch and affect our lives in ways we could never imagine.  They give us support in times of trouble, and make us feel loved.  They give us our greatest joy, and our greatest impact on others.  They are the core of the family, provide security, and provide a sense of identity and fulfillment.  Relationships, in todays electronic age, can often be online, through social sites such as Facebook and MySpace.  I prefer face-to-face relationships, formed the "old fashioned" way.  Partnerships are relationships of two or more people, involved in the same activity.  For instance, two people who work together, toward the same goal.

My most important relationships are with my family.  My husband, who supports my education by giving up quality time so I can complete assignments, is my closest positive relationship.  My parents and sister are a portion of my positive family relationships.  You can find their pictures in my Personal Childhood Web.  My daughter is a very important part of my daily life, and is a positive influence.  I am currently supporting her through book signings.  She is a new author!  See my page titled New Author.  My grandchildren are a big part of my life, and I have positive relationships with all three of them.  I have a new son-in-law, who I am building a relationship with.  We have not known each other for very long, and are in the beginning stages of building, setting the foundation for a relationship which I hope lasts for an eternity.

I have positive partnerships with my staff.  They have worked with me for a number of years, and yes, we have had our disagreements!  We always work through our differences, and are stronger for it.  Now, we work together like a well oiled cog.  We are in a partnership, since we are working toward the common goal of raising a group of young children, supporting them, and teaching them.  Yes, we have relationships with each other, but they seem less significant than the partnership we have formed.  We talk about personal events, and occasionally will have a night out on the town.  We do spend time with each other outside of work, but when we do, we talk about the children, their families, plan child care activities, and strengthen our working partnerships.

The children, parents, and extended family at my child care facility are like family to me!  We share personal notes, support each other, and feel free to speak freely to each other.  Getting to know the families of the children creates a bond that is unbreakable in times of joy and in times of stress.  These partnerships make my job as an early childhood educator much easier.  The open lines of communication, the trust between parties, and the respect shown each other are all obvious to the children.  The children, in turn, follow our example and learn to love and trust us and each other.

Over time, I have learned from my experiences that some persons will stand behind a brick wall, and try not to let you through.  The challenge of breaking through the imaginary brick wall, and entering into a relationship can be difficult, but is not impossible.  The persons hiding, retreating, and shut off from close relationships is the person that need the interaction the most.  If you just find one little crack in the wall, you can edge yourself in.  There is always a way in!  Communication is the only way to keep a relationship and a partnership strong!  We must talk, talk, talk!  We must confide in each other, and tell each other about events and activities in our lives.