Each day I rely on the support of my family. As I have mentioned before I am fortunate enough to live closely to my immediate family. My husband's family also lives only five hours away and we, thankfully, have a strong bond with them as well. This form of support is immeasurable. Having people that can relieve stress, babysit, offer advice is a gift. Other supports that I have are friends. Again people that can provide advice, share experiences, and simply just be with you is imperative to being healthy as an adult. Next, I have a yoga studio and community center that I utilize for yoga classes. This support in the form of self -care is imperative to taking care of my health and in turn taking care of others. Also, I have the support of Walden University. The supportive services of my school, allow me to seamlessly move through my academic career focusing in my studies without having the pressure of finding my books for each class, ordering them, cost, and a dozen other small details that are handled for me.
If these supports were gone I would be afraid. It is hard to imagine being alone without my family and friends first of all. It would be like moving to a new place with no one around. No family, no friends, no yoga, no school. My identity would feel challenged. I would have to rely on community supportive services to reach out and find new support systems. A church would be my first destination to re-establish the network of support I have lost. Being in touch with caring people that can help and offering guidance is imperative to me. The biggest challenge for me is establishing an identity. I realize that my support system is also such a part of who I am. Without family and friends I struggle to define support as they are the foundation for me.
Mandy, you are very supportive to have family and friends support you. Having family and freinds near by as you said is great for relief from stress and offering advice.
ReplyDeleteI understand the value and appreciation of family support. As a military family we were always away from and could not get direct family support. Now that we have retired and live in the same city as our immediate family I find gratitude in the simplest of things. This week while registering my child for school I was able to list six emergency contacts and none we neighbors we had just met!
ReplyDeleteI understand your appreciation for having family support where it is easily accessible. I realized my friends are great sources of support but after reading your blog and everyone else's blog,the lightbulb came on and I realized that I do depend on my friends for advice, more than I thought!
ReplyDeleteFamily is such a huge corner stone of support. You are lucky to be surrounded by yours. I found it admirable that you would go to a church to re-establish church. I tend to believe that no a days a lot of people forget that no matter what occurs in your life the church will be there. Well Done!
ReplyDeleteI can defiantly relate to your supports being apart of your identity. I too feel that if I did not have what I have in place I would not function in this world as me. Its important that people understand that our personailties are defined by how we inteact with one another. Our supports allow us to be who we are.
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