Since we were allowed to post freely today I thought I might reflect on what a gift it is to have good friends. As opposed to Why I think Learning Set Notation is Not Only Pointless it Makes My Headache, oh I digress.
Most of us taking this class live in relatively remote areas of Alaska, some of us may not live near family of whom we can depend on for support. In fact, many of us live thousands of miles from our family. What this causes, at least for my family, is an opportunity to find those relationships in people we may not have ever had the chance to meet.
Living in Kodiak these last 6 years, away from family has brought out an ability I didn't even know I had. The ability to form intimate personal relationships with people outside of my family group. As a result my family has found itself in a position where we spend all holidays and even most weekends with those people who bring fulfillment to our lives. We laugh together, cry together support each other both spiritually and physically. They are sometimes the first person we call when we need to vent or share a special moment. We partner in the raising of each others children.
Now, you might think so what no big deal, but we live in military community. Building relationships like this takes time, but here time is not always on our side. We form these relationships knowing that someday, someday maybe soon, this family will move on. Job transfers come all to soon and we must say goodbye to our new found family. The challenge it to remain in touch to fill each other in on as much as we can and to try and maintain the bonds we have created.
Living in Kodiak has forced our family to reach out beyond our own family bonds to accept other people into our lives to fill the holes that are created when we live in Alaska away from our family.
Instructional Unit Atoms and Presentation
15 years ago
3 comments:
This is a lovely post. I've always wondered how the notion of friends applies to on-line communities. Very large communities like FaceBook are somewhat anonymous, but smaller ones can be quite "real" in the sense that you develop friends that you have never actually met. For example, I am on a service called "Wordie" which is a gathering place for people who love words. I feel as if I have made several real friends there because of our common interests. It seems familiar somehow. I wonder how real it really is.
I always liked the idea that family is who you are stuck with (and you hope that you like them) and friends are who you pick. I have a friend that I have had since the summer of 1978. Since then we have both gotten married and raised kids. We have gone on family vacations together and definately cried over our children togethr. I LOVE FRIENDS!
Ok, don't know if it's ok that I comment on your school blog, but I don't care. THANKS A LOT! You made me CRY you goob! I'm SO thrilled that God brought us together. We are sisters in spirit and laughter and tear and, and, and! I love you and your crazy family too! Ok, 'nuff mush, now back to work! Go study!
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