Relationship Reflection

I have a lot of different types of relationships in my life and they are all very important to me and make me the person that I am.

My family relationships are the most important to me.  I value these relationships above all others.  These are the people that know me, the real me, and love me anyway.

I have the longest term relationship with my mother and even though it has been rocky at times, it has taught me so much about life and unconditional love.  My mom lost her mom when she was 13 and she had me when she was 18.  She and I grew up together and have had to really work at sustaining our relationship.  I am glad that we stuck through the rough times and that we are at a time in our lives where we truly enjoy each other's company.

My sisters are brother are the people that have known me almost as long as my mother.  My relationships with them are as essential as the air that I breathe and I can't imagine my life without them.  They have been my playmates, my enemies, my partners in crime, and my best friends.  Almost every important memory of my life includes at least one or more of them.

My sons are 29 and 26 (twins) and my relationships with them are the ones that still give me pause for thankfulness and gratefulness each and every day of my life.  I have never loved anyone else the way that I love my children.  They have taught me how to have fun, how to be honest about my feelings (even when it hurts), patience, open-mindedness, and the importance of living each day fully.  The last 29 years have been full of ups and downs, tears and laughter, anger and happiness, seriousness and silliness.  They are 3 of the sweetest, smartest, coolest, young men that I know and I am glad that they finally have reached the age where our relationships can be more friend-like instead of parent/child like.

My husband and I have been together for 10 years.  We both had previous marriages and our relationship is one of pure joy.  We appreciate each other and understand how fragile a marriage can be.  I wish I had met him much earlier in life but then again, we would be different people and it may have worked out differently.  He understands me and appreciates me and loves me for me and that is not always easy to find in this world.  I can't wait to see what the next 10 years hold for us!

I believe that I am a happier and more positive person due to the relationships in my life.  When I have a bad day or situation, there is always someone that I can talk to who cares about me and helps me get through the moment.  Having positive relationships helps my stress level which in turn helps me be a better teacher, worker, boss, etc.  I believe that my life experiences and relationships help me value children and their families and the relationships that they have.  It is impossible to not be in some type of relationship with others, be it good or bad.  I am very thankful that most of my relationships are long-term and positive.