My Safety Net

Have you ever had one of those weeks that feels like a month? It feels like I have gotten extremely behind on blogging, even though it's only been a week!

I suppose I could write about how I was super stressed out on the first day of school when everything that could go wrong did, including one of my students throwing up all over herself and my carpet. Or I could write about how I contracted a strep-throat-type infection over the weekend and had to get a sub for the 4th day of school as I visited the doctor - without insurance (6 days left until my insurance kicks in). I could write about the energetic, helpful, team of teachers I work with or my cute but clueless first graders. But I am electing to write about something else - something I've been thinking a lot about recently.

A few illustrations:

A couple of weeks ago, I spent some time helping my younger sister clean her rental house after she and her family moved. My older sister was in town for the weekend with her family, and she took over helping when I had to leave. I thought, as I often have the past few years, how great it is that my sisters and I can get together so often, and how glad I am that my family is one who helps one another. That's just what family does.

I had a moment recently when I realized that my paycheck would be coming later than I thought (one of the hazards of changing employment) and some automatic withdrawals for bills would be happening without the money in my account to pay for them. For a couple of hours, I considered that I would have to call my parents and ask to borrow money. This, for extremely independent me, would be the final resort and humiliating. Then I opened my mail and found a refund check for my house taxes (from my refinancing). I was so grateful! Just an aside -blessings come from paying your tithing....

Then I realized I might have strep throat and would have to get some medical attention with no health insurance. I called my parents to get their advice and was given the support I needed, along with the promise that they would help me financially if I needed it.

A safety net.

These and other incidents caused me to contemplate what kind of family I belong to. I know that if I need anything, I can call my parents and they will be right there for me. I have brothers and brothers-in-law that will take care of any "guy thing" I can't do or don't want to figure out how to do for myself.

I have sisters and sisters-in-law who care about me, cook for me, talk to me, and share their kids with me. In short, the people who I can count on the most to always be there for me are my family. That is pretty cool.

Even my in-laws who, by marrying someone in my family, automatically won a single sister-in-law in the bargain, treat me like one of their own.

It gives me a sense of security that I often take for granted.

People come and go in life. I am someone who collects lifetime friends and they have always been super important in my life. In fact, you are probably about the only people who even read this blog. I count you right up there next to family. However, there have been times when friends move away or the relationships with my friends change, and I am left feeling abandoned and alone. But I am always reminded that my family are the constants in my life. And because of that, if I am truly honest with myself, I know I will never be completely alone.