Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because I believe they shape every part of who I am in some way, shape, or form. I believe that we are very much so influenced by the relationships we carry with others whether it is positive or negative by the people who are in our lives. I think that one of the most positive relationships that I carry in my life is the relationship I have with my father. He is and has always been the most consistent person in my life and he has been the motivation for a lot of the choices I have made in my life. I think this has been one of the most positive relationships in which I have been engaged in because of the consistency that it provides in my life not just by being physically present but by being an encouragement to me to seek more positive relationships that are similar to it. This relationship has really set the precedence in my life for a lot of the other relationships I have chosen to engage in. Although there are other relationships that I have, I think that I am very cautious about investing in them because I am generally a very cautious person and the relationship that I have with my dad is one that has been really consistent and has not changed other than the relationship as I have grown into my adulthood. There are many challenges that one can have through the course of relationships with others and I think that one of the main challenges is trying to enhance the longevity if the relationship. I think it is so important and vital to nurture the relationships through really making time for it and encouraging its growth by talking to one another, investing in the things that are of interest to one another, and communicating your needs honestly with each other. In addition, I might think that special characterisitics of the relationships that I have personally engaged in are that they must have some degree of consistency and some sort of balance. Having a relationship with someone where you both take equal stock and investment in the relationship I think is very important to the survival of the relationship. I think primarily this relationship impacts my work as an educator because I know how important it is to carry on a relationship with someone and have them understand who you are and feel that who you are is important to them and this is what I apply to my relationships with the families that I am blessed to serve and work with everyday.