Through thick and thin, my parents have always been there for me, in so many situations. I know that my mom is always just a phone call away, and no matter what is happening in my life she will stop what she is doing, listen, and help to support me through both positive and negative situations. My dad is always there to provide humor, laughter, and positive energy. I don't know what I would do without them, and their individual styles of support. My grandmother, sister, aunts and uncles have also been there for me, to support me personally and professionally over the years. My small, close knit family is one of the reason that I am, who I am today. Our challenge this week was to describe what life would be like without these supports, and to be honest, I don't even know. Individually, each member of my family helps me in one way or another, and together, they work as a team to provide support to each other. I don't even want to think about what life would be like without a piece of this intricate family puzzle.
Professionally, my main supporter is my mentor, Esther. When I was fresh faced, and right out of college, Esther saw something in me, and put me into a position that I probably wasn't ready for. She taught me how to supervise, how to teach, and how to be a strong leader. Throughout the last 10 years of my career I have always looked to Esther to help guide me through changes. I started a new position in the last 3 months, and the first person I called was Esther, and she helped me to see that transition is hard, but the outcome is worth it. She is someone in the early childhood field that I will always look up to, and always look for support from, no matter where we are each at in our careers.
While I am fortunate to have so many people surrounding me supporting me mentally, physically and emotionally, there are many out there who do not have this luxury. I think about the "what ifs", what if I were to lose my job, or experience some sort of catastrophic event? I know that in either of those events, that I would still have those that love me surrounding me, and helping me through the tough time. I know that my mentor, Esther, would be there to support me professionally, and that my family would be there to support me mentally, monetarily and any other way they could.
