I have many supports in my life. Most of my day is spent at work and I rely on my coworkers and friends for their support. Sometimes I just need physical support with rearranging or taking something to the shed. Other times I need their emotional support especially when dealing with some of the unpleasantries that we find in childcare (parents who are not involved, staff who won't work as a team, etc.). I can always count on them for advice, humor, and comfort.
At home, my family provides many of the same supports for me. They physically help with the household chores, carrying in groceries, yardwork, etc. They offer emotional support and love. My husband offers emotional, physical, practical, and monetary support. His income is double mine, so I rely heavily on him to meet our family's needs.
My other friends offer support through their kind words, words of wisdom, helping hands, and just being there when I need someone to talk to.
After thinking about a challenge that could jeopardize my supports, I became fearful that it might actually happen. I was thinking if I didn't have the use of language (maybe a brain disorder that took away my speech) I would be devastated. Then I started to think how I might communicate. I could use a laptop or still write messages. I also wondered if my emotional supports would still be there for me. I know my family would. I would also become much more dependant on others. I couldn't answer a phone or have a conversation with a family at work. I think I would find it very upsetting not to be able to verbally communicate with others. We take this for granted, but just think about ESL learners. They must feel the same way. I would need a whole new set of supports designed to allow me to express my thoughts. It makes my truly appreciate what I have and all of the supports in my life. I would not want to be without any of them.
Lynn,
ReplyDeleteIt sometimes takes an assignment like this for us to really see all the support we have in our lives. In your post you can tell how much you value your family, friends, and work for support. I can see that you are aware and value your support systems, which are all very amazing. I also thought of something challenging like a health condition. I know that we sometimes forget how much support we bring to our family and if we have a medical condition or loose a form of communication that we can be less supportive and have less support too. It is amazing how much we do rely on support systems, but don't actually think about them in that way. Great post, very eye opening. Melissa
Lynn,
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great post. I spend a lot of time at work also, so I understand what you mean by support there. Losing language would certainly impact every area of our life, but I found it interesting that even though you expressed fear right away from thinking of it...you quickly thought of strategies and ways to function and live with supports. Thanks for helping me think about what i would do with that limitation myself and also offering some suggestions for support. Tammy
Lynn-
ReplyDeleteWhile it would be very hard to deal with losing the ability to speak, you expressed the beauty of the human nature, to adapt. We never know where life will take us, or what challenges it may bring. The important thing to remember is to keep on living!
Lynn,
ReplyDeleteA really good post. I share your fear of not being able to talk. Another one I have is not being able to see. I can't imagine not being able to see sunsets or mountains. They are two of my favorite things. I'm glad you have many supports in your life to help you. It's a big part of living a happy life, I think.
Laurie Parker
Yes not being able to talk would be hard to deal with but I think there are so many nonverbal ways of communicating that I could be able to adjust. It was a great thought, I would not have thought about it
ReplyDeleteThis is such a good post... I would really fear not being able to talk. I don't know what I would do. However, I will take the time to be grateful for the small things. Wow these posts are really making mme reflect on how blessed we are.
ReplyDelete