RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION

Although I have many different relationships with many people, they all have a few things in common. The most important relationships I have are with my husband and children. I have known my husband for 33 years, and will  have been married to him for 25 years in June. needless to say we have experienced countless activities and emotions over the years, some difficult, some not! The most important factor in maintaining this relationship has been the process of learning to be open and honest. No matter what. You need to say what you need the other person to know. Positive or negative. Just say it. This applies to our children also. Just communicate. Listen. Respond. It is not always easy, but it works.
 I have a working relationship with the office administrator at my school. We are also friends. We have had to learn to be honest with each other, or things get convoluted. We have different "working styles", but we have been able to discuss this and respect each other's methods. Sometimes we just have to honestly sort things out. I really feel that this can be applied to any successful relationship, and that is how I work  and live. It works with staff, also. I think if we just give each other the opportunity to be heard, we can move forward.
I am sure this is a great way to develop a relationship with families, too. When I have a parent who is upset and needs to talk, I invite them to do just that. I listen to their views, and then we talk about what needs to happen next to make them feel better about leaving their child with us every day. Usually we come to terms, we keep in touch regarding whatever the situation is, and we move on, taking any action needed.
Obviously, I am more deeply committed to some people than others, so I suppose I put forth more effort in some relationships than others, but generally speaking I reap what I sow. There are relationships into which I put a great amount of effort, and from those relationships I gain great satisfaction.