My Connections to Play

"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning." -Diane Ackerman

      Children learn much about their identity during "play time". It is a very essential tool for them to engage in and is very rewarding with positive benefits; able to solve problems, great social skills, build muscles, create ideas, etc. Being involved in fun activities played a very important role in my childhood. Believe it or not, during the holidays, I would write and direct short plays for my little brother and sister so that we could perform them for my mom. I had no idea that it would have an impact on me later in life; I studied theatre, directed and wrote a play, and performed a few shows while in college. I found joy and excitement in writing plays and pretending to be someone else when it was time to perform them. Play enhanced my writing and entertainment skills and prepared me for college.

My first barbie doll ever was this exact Brandy doll! This was one of my most memorable moments as a child and just looking at this picture brings back those warm feelings!

 This was so much fun! I loved pretending to cook and prepare food for my invisible guest!

My mother supported my play habits as a child. She allowed me the opportunity to be myself when I engaged in play and would usually let my little brother, sister, and myself engage in play after school until it was bed time. Unfortunately, play for children today has changed tremendously. Now, children feel that play time is texting, taking pictures on cellular devices, engaging in social networking sites, singing songs with explicit lyrics, etc. My hope for young children who find excitement in this type of play is that it doesn't influence them when they become adults and also hope that parents would make the decision to keep their children away from these things.

The role of play throughout my life has enhanced so many skills; writing, directing, acting, social, and communication. Without this tool, I would not have had the opportunity to explore and figure out what it is I would love to do as an adult.

"In our play, we reveal what kind of people we are." -Ovid

Check out a few more pics below of the many toys I used during play time;

   

 

Relationship Reflection

Never explain yourself. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe it -Anonymous


Relationships and friendships are very beautiful pieces in life, as we all need someone to share our happiness, sadness and joy with. That alone is why relationships and partnerships are so important. Some relationships are short lived but there are some that are long lasting and can leave an impact on your life. I will share a few of those people who I have a positive relationship with which has influenced my life.

Without God, I am nothing. He is truly the head of my life and a true friend indeed. In life, sadness and pain is guaranteed but a word with him is comforting and eases the many tribulations in life. My personal relationship has grown stronger over the years with him. When all else fails and there is no one there to talk to, I know that I can lean on him for understanding and comfort. We continue to maintain our relationship as I respectfully follow his path and he showers down his many blessings on me; signaling that I am doing a good deed.

This is my cousin and most of all, my best friend. We have been the best of friends since we were babies, literally! She has always taught me to pray more and worry less when things get a little rough. We enjoyed our childhood, highs chool, and now our adulthood years together. I couldn't imagine not having a friend like her on my side. We love to have fun and laugh all the time when we're together. Today, we continue to talk about our problems or issues that we may be facing in life, to show that we are still there for one another. I thank God for placing such an amazing young woman in my life.

My college experience was very stressful, but there are two individuals who were there to consol me. Financially, I was broken, but they took me under their wing and helped me with anything I needed. The many laughs and gatherings we had were very helpful during that stressful time. They encouraged me to hang in there and to finish up my education for better opportunities. Even now, we are still able to have a good time when we are together, inspiring each other to accomplish our many goals. A true friendship indeed; one that I will always cherish and be thankful for.

Who says I can't have a relationship with what I love doing? Dance is therapy for me and allows me to step out of my element for a while and be free from the world. It is so powerful, and has been apart of my life since I was a little girl. I love everything about it; the soreness it brings to my body and the sweat that touches my body which burns the unwanted fat and calories :) Our relationship continues to grow as I use it as a tool to stay in shape and to live a healthy lifestyle. I am in love with dance, and dance is in love with me. We have history!

This young man here is my father. We did not have the best of a relationship; in fact, we didn't have a relationship at all. I often times would shed tears when I was a little girl, wondering why my dad was not present in my life as much as he should. I was very active in middle school and high school in extra curriculum activities and I always wanted him to attend events to see my many talents. I am happy to say that my dad is now my father (there is a difference), and I can call him a friend. I am very comfortable when I talk with him and feel very relaxed and accomplished when we communicate together. We are working on building our relationship as we continue to communicate through our many text messages and family functions. This is something I've been wanting and waiting for all my life and I am happy that we can overlook the past and focus on the future.

This handsome guy here is the love of my life. I've never been so comfortable around a person until I met this individual. I can be open and free with him and he loves everything about it. Even when I'm a bit moody and grumpy, he is there to hold me and assure me that everything will be okay. He makes life worth living and I appreciate him for being so supportive of me in everything I desire. He is a loving father, firefighter, and most of all, a friend. If we have a problem in our relationship, we talk it out and build a deeper understanding of each other. He has made a huge impact in my life, allowing me to love again and to be comfortable in my own skin. I continue to Love everything about him.

Communication is the key to any relationship. Without it, I have learned that this can hinder a relationship and can make it very challenging to maintain. The relationships I have shared are true partnerships as I am able to communicate with each of them, come to for comfort and provide comfort to, and are very supportive people in my life. With this experience, I can use this as a tool in my career and will leave an impact on my work as a professional. In the education field, it is important to build relationships with families and I am comfortable with taking on the challenge in building a foundation with them. A strong relationship with families is a good way to make the child feel comfortable in his or her school work, creating success and a prosperous future. This will not only have an impact on families and children, but myself as well.