In my environment, the greatest support I receive is from my family. Each member of my family brings with them a very differing view from other family members. These varied views are supported by frequent conversations, and allowing them to tell the stories within their self attained point of view. We do not exhibit the perfect family, by any means, rather we can accept that they are the masters of their stories and it is a privilege to understand the world through their eyes, if only for a moment. I also am privileged to have an extension of family with those whom I call friends. My neighbors have become a very influential component in supporting my professional and personal goals for this new chapter of my life. My grandchildren are of great influence in my life and a large portion of the reason why I need to be able to advocate for children as an active participant in the early childhood education community.
My supportive circle supports me in many levels and at different times of personal and professional development. Each group and every individual has made contributions that have added to make the person you would see before you. Mortality, at it will, will not effectively erase who I have become, but it may take a great deal strength to confront any situation that would constitute an absence. The interactions of every relationship have added a little constitution to the kind of person I wanted to be. They each have contributed to my sense of purpose, and the positive feeling of belonging.
It is of no great secret to anyone who knows me that I believe that you have to decide what you need, and then you might know how to serve. Life moves on and at some point it will all become surreal, and then we meet our maker. It takes a lot of courage to be able to move forward in the absence of your supportive environment. But as we grow and learn, engage and motivate, we develop more relationships that continue to validate the reasoning in the pursuit. Supportive measures are the securities we count on when engaging any task, large or small. Their absence can produce delays in my ability to participate in class, get to work, stay healthy, and aware.
The factors that provide daily environmental support are be my peers, the academic community, and the many educational foundations and current research, and applying the benefits of child-centered educational environments within the boundaries of my competence. There is a certain level of responsibility that goes along with being entrusted to provide a child with unbiased safe, inclusive, ethical and appropriate care and support. These environmental engagements ground me to the fundamental nature of respect for others. We are a collective of individuals, but together, we have all make the story true. The relationships that follow determination will also have their hand in the fine tuning of me. Other supports include my lap-top, a job. medical doctors, and therapeutic services.
Future relationships and engagements will become added experiences to grow on. As the family grows, these new relationships will carry with them a little something that I may have planted in their hearts. I chose to engage in becoming an advocate for children, and provide the kind of kindness that allows a child to live their experiences, to enjoy the joys of collaboration and cooperation, and to recognize the privilege that is educating a brand new brain, in all of its functions ready to absorb information, feel, touch, express, question and imagine. I will always be grounded by the love, respect, and inclusiveness within my family. Our sameness allows us to respect each other and be cognizant of our own individual perspectives and biases. The external support facilitates the inclusion of a blog, the ability to engage in distant education, and information contributed by my academic peers.
As is relevant for the inclusion of this Blog, I will have to say, that there is always much to discuss in Gremi’s Garden (blogging-for-good.com, 2020). Like in the oak trees, support is the foundation in for all relationships. Whether it is an individual, a piece of equipment, or academic support, all of these interactive factors provide support in their intended purposes.
The absence of support is not often the thoughts that invade my head; they are however, very important realities that need to be considered, to be understood.
Gremi's Garden 