I have many supports available and
given to me each and every day. Without these supports, life would be very
difficult and I imagine that I would try to find alternate supports for them. My
biggest emotional supports are my husband, my mom, and my sister. Most of our
interactions are over the phone but they play a big role in helping to support
me. Some practical supports would be monetary, as my husband and I both work.
We also have a couple of family members that watch my daughter for us. This is
a huge support as we can rest easy that she is being cared for by people that
love her and will put her needs first. Many of my physical and practical
supports are one in the same as I am pregnant and many things are difficult to
complete. My husband is fantastic and does so many of the chores inside and
outside of the house. He also gives me the time I need to complete school work
by watching our daughter when he can.
Without all
of these supports it would be very difficult to exist but I think we would
manage. It would be a much lower quality of life than we have currently, but we
would make it work. If certain supports were gone, the impact would be
devastating, some more than others. Loss of monetary supports could cause the
loss of our home, and loss of emotional supports would change so much about me
as a person. It is hard to imagine my life without the supports that are
already in place and I hope that I do not lose any of them anytime soon.
If I had a
challenge, perhaps deafness, I would still want many of the same supports, but
altered slightly. For communication, I would need to do more emailing and
written communication. My family would hopefully learn to sign along with me. I
would need help from others with my daughter perhaps to decode the type of
noise or cry she is making. At this point, I would still need many of the same
supports at home but at work, I am not sure how I would continue to teach
kindergarten unless I moved to a different setting. All of these things would
be supporting me with my everyday life as well as giving me emotional support. Without these supports, life would definitely
be difficult, and at times, unsafe (danger if I cannot hear certain things).
Hey Robin,
ReplyDeleteFamily is the vest kind of support there is. Some of us don't have it, but we can count on true friends or neighbors for support. Being deaf would be a struggle just to experience because it can be frustrating. But it would give you an experience that will always remain with you. Learning to sign, will help you on you teaching journey for those you may encounter later down the line.
Hello Robin:
ReplyDeleteWow!I admire anyone who has small children and are going to school. It is wonderful that your husband is so supportive, especially, with a new bundle of joy on the way! I share your point of view in not wanting to lose emotional supports. Oftentimes, with the busy"ness" of our days we tend sometimes not to reflect on how valuable those supports are to us. My sister is in another state so I also rely mainly on the phone conversations.
Thanks for sharing.
Angela