My Supports

Reflecting on the supports I have in my life, I feel fortunate to have many valuable emotional as well as practical supports in my life. My husband is my main source of support on a daily basis. He supports me emotionally through his unconditional and enduring love. I know I can count on him for sound advice and support if I am dealing with a problem situation in my personal life or my work life. He helps build my confidence when I am unsure of myself. He supports me practically in many ways; from taking out the trash to mowing the grass and by doing many other things that I would rather not do but need to get done! Without his encouragement and help with caring for our three year old daughter, I would not be able to participate in this course. As partners in life, we both have responsibilities that we need to take care of so our family can function the way it does. Without his support, I would find it difficult to support myself and my daughter and maintain the same quality of life we enjoy now. My parents, in-laws and friends are a great source of emotional support. I know I can count on them to lend me a listening ear or give sound advice whenever I need it. At work, my co-workers support me both emotionally and in practical ways. One of my co-teachers especially, reminds to take a ‘yoga breath’ if I am having a stressful day. By doing their fair share as team members, my co-teachers are practical sources of support. My church family is also an incredible source of support. When we first moved to the area, knowing we didn’t have any family in the area, they took us under their wings to support us through many life changes and continue to do. A physical support I have depend on a lot is my phone which helps me stay organized and informed. It helps me maintain my calendar and lists as well as allows me to pay bills, check email, weather, news etc. Each of the supports in my life contribute towards helping me function on a day to day basis as well as enrich it. As human beings, I believe that we are wired to survive regardless of what challenges life brings our way. I think I could still function well enough if I was to lose any of my supports, but I wouldn’t enjoy the same quality of life. If my colleagues weren’t supportive, I would still be able to do my job but would most likely be stressed, overwhelmed and frustrated due to the lack of support. 

The challenge I chose was becoming physically immobile. I recently fractured my ankle which left me with limited mobility for several weeks. Over those few weeks I needed crutches, a wheelchair and a boot; physical supports that I couldn’t have done without. I needed the practical support of my husband and family to take care of my basic needs and to care for my daughter due to my limited mobility. When I returned to work, my colleagues supported me by relieving me of any duties that required a lot of physical activity and made other accommodations such as making sure I had a ‘big’ chair instead a child-sized chair to sit on! I was glad to have emotional support from my family because I felt guilty and upset because of the added responsibilities for my husband, losing pay because I was unable to work and being dependent on others to get around or get things done. I believe that I went through a fairly fast and easy healing process due to the many supports I had. If my injury was permanent, physical modifications to my environment and practical supports would help me survive.  However, I would find it very difficult to survive without emotional support from family and friends. I would probably go about my daily life, but would experience a poorer quality of life and most likely suffer emotional issues due to the lack of support and the stress of dealing with challenges associated with limited mobility. 

I am very grateful that my injury was only temporary and that I am now able to go about my life as I please. This experience made me appreciate my life more and made me realize just how much support we all need from others and our environment in the form of emotional, practical and physical support for our day to day survival. I am very grateful for the all the supports in my life. I feel blessed!