"Human relationships, and the effects of relationships on relationships, are the building blocks of healthy development" (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000, p. 4).
I come from a very large family. I learned very early in life how important
relationships are and how much they can affect your life. I was taught by my grandparents how to nourish
and respect relationships. They both
taught that having relationships is mostly about tolerance and patience. We have to be patient with others and respect
their decisions even if we do not agree with them. Although I lost my paternal grandmother to
cancer in 2011 I carry her lessons of unconditional love with me throughout my
life.
Today I keep few friends and family close. I have a small circle but it is filled with
quality. My most important relationship
is with my husband of 14 years. He makes
me want to be better. His support is
unparalleled. He supports my dreams and
when I am down, he encourages me. When I am being lazy, he motivates me. Watching him overcome adversity and persevere
through trials and achieve is admirable.
My husband teaches me how to be empathetic and compassionate in
relationships. He helps me to be
considerate of others.
My mother is a very important relationship. We went from mother and daughter to
friends. She supports me and helps me to
make sense of my thoughts. She ensures
that I am unwilling to make excuses and keeps me accountable for my
actions. We laugh and when I do not
thing anyone understands me. She does. I
value who she is and where she has come from raising my sister and me without
help. Her hardworking nature is a
characteristic that she passed down to my sister and me. She taught me about
how to rid myself of toxic relationships and how to be forgiving in important relationships.
My very best friend is a superwoman. We began our friendship 17 years ago as
colleagues. We both watched our careers
grow and we encourage and support each other with our academics. She is a mother of five a wife, a preschool Staff
coordinator, and student working toward her master’s degree in education. She is the definition of superwoman. We challenge each other’s thinking. We provide advice when each of us comes to an
impasse professionally. Her independent thinking and mama bear skills
make her one of the strongest women I know.
What she taught me is how to support one another through
differences. How to express yourself
within the relationship while accepting the other person for who they are.
My cousin is another valuable relationship that I
treasure. Although we are related
through marriage, I love her as if we share the same familial blood. She has had to endure such hardships at a
very young age. However, if you were to
look at her you would be amazed how unscathed she is. She is the definition of determination and
integrity. She is a single mother of two
while working and finishing her MBA. She
supports me in everything and she is very hands on in my business. She double checks my business to make sure
everything is up to par. She sets the
standards high. She teaches me about
appreciation of relationships and not taking them for granted.
