My Supports

I have so many supports in my life.  The three most important would have to be my family, my friends, and my faith.  Without these supports I would be so very lost!

My family supports me through the good times and the bad.  My husband is such a hard worker and always puts our family's needs before his own.  He works long hours and then after a hard day at work he comes home to tend our little farm and livestock.  He always has a project going to make our life a little better.

My children, although grown, are a huge support system.  They all live near me and we spend a lot of time together.  Every Sunday night we have what we call "Sunday Supper".  All of their families come to my house and we share a meal.  We all pitch in with the food and the cleaning up afterwards.  I look forward to this meal all week and it really rejuvenates me for Monday's busy obligations.  We not only share food but love and fellowship.

My mom, sisters, and brother are a huge support for me too.  We talk most everyday and my sisters are partners with me in my childcare center.  My family, although far from perfect, is a wonderful reminder of what is right in this crazy world we live in.

My friends, both at work and outside of work, are always there for me.  Whether it's lending a helping hand, letting me cry on their shoulder, or offering some much needed advice, I can always count on them at the drop of a hat.  I would not like to know what it would be like to go through my life without their love and support.

My faith is what keeps me sane when all else fails.  I look to the Lord for guidance, salvation, and grace, even when I don't deserve it.  When the sky is falling down on me, I only need to read my Bible,  listen to a favorite hymn, or look at one of His wonderful creations, to regain my perspective.  Without my faith, all else would be for naught.

When thinking about a challenge, I immediately though of losing my hearing because I currently have some issues with mild hearing loss.  One of my biggest fears is losing all of my hearing someday.  I would not be able to hear my husband's voice, my grandchildren say they love me, favorite hymns, or my son's melodious guitar.  I can't imagine not being able to hear and miss out on the give and take of conversations.  I would need to depend on those around me to help me learn how to communicate without hearing and I am sure that would be very difficult.  I pray that I never have to find out how it feels to lose one's hearing.

"My Connections to Play"

"Children's games are hardly games. Children are never more serious than when they play."

MONTAIGNE, Essays

"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning."

Diane Ackerman
Contemporary American author

"If you want to be creative, stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children before they are deformed by adult society."

Jean Piaget
Swiss philosopher

"Children need the freedom and time to play.
Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity."

Kay Redfield Jamison, American Professor of psychiatry1896–1980

I love to play!  I have always loved to play and I hope that I never lose my desire to play!  Essential play items for me include:  sand and water, something to make music with, some type of swing, and a friend or two!  

As a young child I spent many long hours involved in play.  My favorite thing to do was to be outside, wondering around our backyard and woods and finding new things to use in my play.  My parents always encouraged me to play, especially outside.  My siblings and I would spend our summer days riding bikes, tromping through the woods, and making forts and houses out of anything that we could stack together.  As I grew older and had the responsibility of babysitting my youngest siblings, I still reverted to play to get me through the day.  When I had to feed them lunch, we pretended we were at a restaurant and they ordered their food.  When it was time for their nap, we pretended we were camping and sleeping under the stars.  Bath time included many adventures in our "boat on the high seas".  

Play has always been an escape for me.  I still find it very easy to sneak off and play although my play props now are much different than when I was a child.  My adult play also often includes a grandchild or two.  I try to show my grandchildren the importance of playing, imagining, and creating.  At my house we don't get lost in mindless television and computers or gaming systems are not our focus.  We paint, plant flowers, bake a cake, run around in the rain, race matchbox cars, read a book, or countless other activities that actively engage their growing minds.  

I want my grandchildren and other children in my life to know the joys of catching fireflies, sledding backwards down a hill, and riding a horse.  I want them to understand that true joy comes not from all of today's gizmos and gadgets, but from simple things shared with those that you love.