Relationship Reflection

The people who are most special to me in my life are my close family and friends. They help build me up when I feel down. They give me a shoulder to cry on. They give me a hug when I need it most. They make me laugh, they bring me joy and they give me hope, when I've lost all of what I had. I try to surround myself with positive people who bring out the best in me.

My mom and dad

My parents the most influential people in my life. They have taught me so many things throughout my life, it's hard to pin point them all. But here are just a few: 

• It's okay to put on green footy pajamas and hop around like a frog to entertain your kids, even if you are a grown man.
• You're never too old for a bear hug from dad or cuddling up with mom when you had a bad day.
• You can do anything you dream to if you put the work in and your mind to it.
• "You is smart. You is kind. You is important." (That one's for my momma!)
• Don't let anyone ever make you feel inferior. (That one's for my pops!)
• For a kid, the most memorable moments are the ones where you are active in them: making tents in the living room, turn out the lights and get out the flashlights and tell ghost stories; Hawaiian family themed dinners- hula skirts and all!; Reading chapter books and books on record, before bed- every night)

These are just a FEW of the many things I have learned throughout the years from my parents.  Growing up, I have always adored them and never wanted to disappoint them. I never went through my rebellious phase because I always wanted to make them proud. (I did, however, go through my teenage phase- had my moment of defiance and laziness!) But the one thing throughout my childhood into adulthood that never changes, was their unfailing love for me. Never once, did I feel that my parents didn't believe in me or care about my best interest. They taught me how to be patient, caring and instilled in me a love of working with children.

My sisters

Wow! Where do I begin? I was only 11 months old with Erica was born (middle), then Stephany (right) came into the world 20 months later. We have been through thick and think together! If any of my relationships could be considered a partnership- it would be with them! You could consider us partners in crime! Growing up as kids, we were always getting into some sort of trouble and blaming it on each other. However, those are not the memories I hold.... my memories with my sisters consist of playing barbies and bumper cars in the basement, playing school and making our rooms into little offices as we pretended to be adults. Then there were our heart to heart talks in middle school and high school- bringing each other up through the heartbreaks, sticking up for one another when someone tried to bully one of us, and having bonfires together with all of our friends. Throughout college we drifted apart, but now that we are all college graduates, Erica (a stay at home mommy),  Stephany (a social worker) and I (a teacher) have grown closer again. I love talking with them and getting their perspective on things. I love laughing and joking with them (we do that often!) and hanging out with mom and Sonorah (my 15 month old niece) while enjoying a girls' day!
Our relationship has been through hardships and it's seen the best of times. I will always treasure my relationships with my sisters because they are two of my best friends! I had so much fun growing up with them. Through our relationship, I have learned how to share, cooperate and have fun with others! I think they are a huge part in what makes me a good kindergarten teacher!

My best friend since kindergarten

I can't even remember the first time I met Andrea because we were so young. We grew up together since kindergarten and would become best friends, off and on- any year we were in the same class, but truly became best friends (FOR GOOD) in 7th grade. Our amazing friendship didn't last long because the next year (in 8th grade) my family moved 2 states away (6 hour drive) and it was devastating. I thought I would never see my friends again. Little did i know, what an amazing friend I had because she would drive out to visit me and let me come visit her whenever we had the opportunity! I'm so blessed to say that we have been best friends through it all and continue to be, with the distance between us. We have both moved about 3 or 4 times since middle school and have never been closer than a 4 hour drive. But the distance doesn't separate how much we care about each other because the short time periods we do get to see one another- it's like we never are apart. We are both teachers, love our jobs and love to talk about it. I'm pretty sure her husband hates when I call because that's all we talk about! She inspired me to work harder in college and still does to this day. She just recently passed her National Boards! She amazes me with her motivation and passion, and it is so inspiring! She definitely has a huge impact on my role as an early childhood educator.

My kindergarten team (+ Hannah) (minus Candy) - We went on vacation together for our fall break and still loved each other afterwards!!! It was such a wonderful time!

My Kindergarten team at work are some of my best friends. They keep me motivated and inspired to keep working hard for my students. We share everything with each other and love working together. I can't list one thing as to how they DO NOT impact my work as an early childhood educator. They lift my spirits when I feel down, they make me laugh when I'm stressed, they help me out when I am sick, they challenge me, they motivate me, they inspire me to be a better teacher and are truly some of my closest friends. We've seen each other celebrate accomplishments, cry in frustration and all the in between! We were joking the other day about how we all have our bad days, our "time of the month" and we always end up still loving each other no matter what. We feel like a true family and that is so rare in the work place! I'm truly blessed to work with such a wonderful group of women!

There are so many more relationships in my life that I value- my grandparents, my brother, my neice, my cousins, aunts and uncles, and of course all the rest of my friends. Like I said before, I try to sorround myself with people who inspire me to be a better person and bring out the best in me. Relationships aren't always easy, but  I have learned that they are always worth the work!