My Supports

When I first started thinking about this post I realized, but just never thought about, how many things I really count on for support. Supports can be people, places, or things that help me navigate through life, and to me is something that is so crucial, I can’t get through the day without it, even if it is only something for a short time. There are the obvious physical needs of support like food and water, but then I started thinking about more of my emotional support systems.

My first support system is my family. I am super lucky to have this support system, as I realize more and more how atypical the closeness of my family is. I literally cannot get through the day without texting, calling, or talking to one of my family members. My mom and my sisters are my absolute best friends and rocks for advice, support, a laugh, or shoulder to cry on. My dad is the first person I call to talk to about anything house, car, or tool related. He helps keep me grounded and is also a trusted confidant. I don’t think I would be able to exist if something happened to one of them because we are all so closely connected. They are not just my support system, but I am a part of theirs as well. I am also close with both sides of my extended family, so I also regularly talk with my cousins, aunts, and uncles who all genuinely care for me as well.

The second support that is crucial to my lifestyle is my relationship with God. I am a Christian and my faith is very important to me. It’s how I base my lifestyle, personality, and choices. I chose to walk and live by faith and without having that and a supportive church family that I worship and volunteer with, I would feel totally lost.

I also have a good support system through work. There are some days where my co-teacher and crazy coworkers are the reason I get out of bed and come to school 😛 There will always be things that we have to do in a school system that we may not support or feel are best practices, but we do it anyway for the good of our students, and my coworkers help remind me of that. Our Side Side Hallway is always loud and rambunctious, and we are constantly teasing each other and giving hugs in the hallway, as well as being the first to line up outside someone’s door when they need advice or help with a student or family. Our director has our best interests at heart as well, and stands behind us when we need it the most. What if I didn’t have a job? This is the challenge I chose to share because having the job helps support other parts of my lifestyle, like my car, the food that I am able to buy to keep me alive, and my phone which keeps me connected to my family when I can’t see them physically. Having my job gives me a paycheck that helps support myself and without it, life would be more difficult as I would have a hard time existing without them. I don’t know what I would do if I were ever unable to talk to or see my family.

Those are my biggest emotional support systems. Some of my physical supports that I couldn’t live with out are my car, my coffee, and my books. My car is a physical support that I take for granted too often. It gets me to and from places and runs efficiently and I never appreciate it enough until I have a flat tire or my battery died. I don’t need to rely on public transportation which goes on a schedule any may not be reliable and I can get up and go at any time. Because I have a job I can pay for gas and typical car maintenance. Coffee gets me up and out bed and helps me begin my day effectively. Once I have coffee in my system, I am motivated to get things done and it keeps me calm coming into my classroom to start my day. Finally, books are my safe place. When I am stressed and need time to myself, I rely on a good book to take me awhile for awhile. This supports my mental health and calming personality 🙂

Without all of these support systems in place I wouldn’t be the person I am. They are what makes me unique and helps me emotionally, practically, and physically.