Saturday, December 10, 2011

Daily Supports

  1. My iPhone is my brain!  I use it to keep lists, my calendar, for news, and communication.  I am so lost with it.  I feel like I can't function.
  2. My husband is indispensable!  We depend on each other for monetary and emotional support.  We also depend on each other for parenting support.  I don't know what I would do without him.  I have great respect for people who are single parents.  That must be the most difficult job in the world.
  3. My family is very supportive.  Each one supports me in their own way.  The oldest helps out a lot around the house, especially with the youngest.  My son, the middle child, is my resident tech specialist.  He helps me out when I have technology problems.  The youngest is my shadow.  She is always with me and always knows how to comfort me when I am upset.  She and I are extremely close.
  4. My co-workers help support me when things get stressful at work.  We vent to each other when things are tough at work.  This really helps because then we don't take things home to our families.  The last 2 years, we have not been able to eat lunch all together as in the previous years.  This has been tough on us.
  5. My parents are there for me when only the advice from a parent will do.  They are always willing to offer an ear and are never judgemental.  I can call them for anything and they will help.  When I was younger they offered monetary and emotional support.  As I have grown older I look to them when I need advice or just need to talk. 
My imagined challenge was a physical disability.  This was not hard as we experienced this, to some degree, this week.  I had bunion surgery on my right foot on Monday and have been fairly helpless all week.  My husband has had to cook all week and the oldest has done most of the house cleaning.  Everyone is out of clothing to wear.  The youngest hasn't had a bath since Wednesday.  I feel like my house is falling apart.  If this were a permanent disability, life could get very difficult for us.  First, we would not be able to meet our financial obligations.  It takes both of our salaries to support our family.  Next, everyone would have to get better about working together as a family. This necessarily isn't a bad thing, though.  We have learned a lot as a family this week.  I learned that I don't need to be in control of everything and that the rest of the family doesn't really mind living in a pig sty, either.  My definition of clean is definitely different than theirs!  Everyone is still alive and I feel we have grown closer as a family.  My husband and I have faced many challenges in the 17 years we have been together and we have always come out on top.  I think this is because we have a great family and we are supportive of each other. 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Christine,
The list of supports that you have is similar to mine. Its funny that you mention your iphone as your number one! I agree, I do not know what I would do without my phone. It is actually kinda sad how much I depend on it for many things throughout the day. That is great that your husband is so supportive. I hope your foot is feeling better!

Christine M said...

Hello Christine,

I liked all of your support systems and we as thriving mothers seem to always bounce back from whatever the issue is. I have learned a long time ago from Oprah that it is all right to have a lived in home and messy, unorganized closets. Life is much more than that! So, when I feel down about my home not looking up to par, I hear Oprah's voice. My daughter gets frustrated and thinks she does almost all of the cleaning and it tickles me. She thinks since she picked up the living room and cleaned the bathroom she did everything. I just keep a smile on my face and hope that my husband comes home soon. He is my wondeful support system, just like yours. I hope you will feel better soon.

Christine