Relationship Reflection

This is my parents….  Everything I learned about trust, being kind, showing respect, how to help people I learned from them.   They taught me how to love and therefore I am able to have love for my two children.  One my birth daughter and the second a former client that has turned into a daughter of mine as well.  I realize that there are  boundaries when forming relationships with clients but our hearts at times break those boundaries.  Jazmin just a kid when I met her.  She now a beautiful young lady that I love as my own.  

Father's Day selfie 2014 with Dad and Mom

Loving a rainy day and remembering Seattle with Cailin.

Jazmin on her wedding day

My best friend Rachael….  We have been friends since we were 11 years old.  She moved away after 8^th grade to Australia.  We were blessed to have been able to attend the University of Arizona together.  We have lived most of our lives apart yet due to our friendship that includes trust, honesty, commitment, we have maintained best of friends.  

Rachel and I July 2013.  Hadn't seen each other in over 11 years.

I am not a huge fan of pets but this past Easter I got two bunnies for my daughter.  This is Cloud.  She passed away a few weeks ago.  She taught me how the love of a pet can comfort you on the worst of worst days.  Relationships with pets are just too easy.  You provide love and they provide love right back.  She also during her short time with us taught my daughter how to be responsible in the relationship with a pet and taught her about losing a relationship that she loved so dearly.  Hard lessons to learn.

Sweet baby girl Cloud....

I grew up in a very different environment that most of the families that I have served the past 18 years.  I began my career as a home-visitor.  It was very eye-opening and being that I worked with families in their homes I was offered the opportunity to experience live from their eyes.  When living in Seattle I worked for Early Head Start.  My families were from Eritria and Vietnam.  They shared their culture and with culture I learned that each family had their own culture within their own family.  After time I began to feel as if I was apart of their family.  The trust, respect and rapport was equally reciprocal.   This impacted the work that I continue to do because it was the foundation of my learning process in how to work with families.