Family Life Studies - Admission/Application Essay Example

 Annie (not her real name) is a licensed practical nurse with one of the local hospitals in the metropolis. When she entered the health care profession ten years ago, she did so as a nursing attendant – assisting in the transport of patients from one unit to another. After two years, and after taking certificate courses in practical nursing, she was promoted to practical nurse. She occupied such position for four years. After passing the licensing exams for practical nurses, she was again promoted to a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in the surgical unit. She has occupied such position for four years running. She is now currently taking some preliminary courses in nursing with the end goal of possibly becoming a registered nurse in the future. Family plays an important role in Annie’s life. She got married right after high school when her boyfriend got her pregnant. Her parents were conservative Catholics and prompted her to marry her boyfriend despite her very young age. Her parents were, however, still very supportive of her plans to go to school and they helped care for her baby while she worked and attended some nursing courses. Her husband was also very much supportive and got a part-time job while also attending some college courses. Both sets of parents were supportive of Annie and her husband’s efforts to work and support their child. Annie and her husband lived with Annie’s parents for three years while they were studying and working part-time. When Annie finished her practical nursing course, she and her husband moved out of her parent’s house to an apartment near her parent’s house. It was convenient for them to live near her parent’s house because they could easily drop off their child to be babysat whenever she and her husband had to go to work. Annie’s and her husband’s family played a crucial role in their life, as well as in the life of their daughter. Their family was their support system. They encourage them when they felt the hardship of juggling parenthood, work, and school responsibilities. They made the struggle easier and less of a burden. They were there to provide financial support when it was needed and to challenge them to be better parents for their child. Their daughter was a constant source of inspiration for both Annie and her husband. Whenever both of them felt exhausted after a long and hard day at work or at school, coming home to their child always made their sacrifices worthwhile. Their family helped them stay grounded and motivated despite the difficulties they faced with each challenge in the school or in their workplace. According to Annie, her marriage plays a crucial role in her life. Her husband has remained supportive of her endeavors and he also shared her plans for a better life for their family, most especially their daughter. From the very beginning, even when they knew they were both too young to marry, her husband stepped up and took responsibility for her and the baby. He was a supportive husband all throughout her pregnancy and after. Despite his exhaustion from his duties at work and from his own school courses, he took the time to play with their daughter and to take care of Annie’s needs as well. Her husband was a kind and caring man. Annie’s marriage helped her share the responsibility of parenthood. It became her support system as well. Somehow the weight of being a student, a mother, and a worker did not seem as burdensome when she knew that she had her husband to share all these burdens with. Her husband was her friend, her companion, her conscience, and her partner in life. Her marriage became another aspect in her life which somehow helped her to mature and to grow as a parent and as a woman. She was quick to point out however that they reached so many points in their marriage when they thought it best to separate and let both of them discover their own paths. But somehow, after much contemplation, both of them still felt the same – that they were better and stronger together than apart. The top five things that Annie has done in order to balance work, marriage, and family relationships throughout her working career are the following: being patient; learning to compromise; being humble; staying focused; and making quality time for family. First and foremost, by being patient, Annie was able to get through the different tasks and responsibilities in her daily activities. She learned to be patient with her daughter whenever she was having a tantrum. She learned how to be patient with her husband whenever he was busy at work and could not come home early. She learned how to be patient and persevering with her studies and her work – how to work through each assignment, examination, or work shift without compromising the quality of her tasks. She also learned how to compromise. Compromise often came up in her marriage. Her husband also wanted to fulfill his own life goals. However, with various responsibilities, Annie knew that they both had to compromise at times in order to give the other a chance to achieve something for himself, and consequently, for the family. Annie had to give up a year of her studies in nursing so that her husband could concentrate on his own studies. And her husband too had to give up an aspiring job offer in order to give her a chance to finish her own LPN studies. Through compromise, their family was able to stay strong and focused on their goals. Although their careers may not have been as successful, their family was intact and their marriage stayed strong. Annie also learned to be humble – to not let pride stop her from asking for help, from apologizing for a mistake, for admitting fault, and for compromising. She also learned the importance of staying focused on her goals for herself and for her family. She learned that with determined focus, it is possible for her to be a student, have a career, and be a mother and a wife. Finally, she also found out that it is important for her to have quality time for her family and to enjoy being a mother – to be there when her daughter reached various milestones in her life. It is also important for her to spend quality time with her husband. After all, they are not just students, or workers, or even parents, they are also husband and wife. The advice that Annie would share with me about balancing work, marriage, and family relationships is on prioritizing family above all. I imagine that she would advice me that it is not actually about balancing all aspects of one’s life – it is about prioritizing one’s family. From my interview with her, I could sense that she was passionate about her family and during the times of her life when she was made to choose or decide between her studies or her family or between her career and her family, she always chose her family. In the end, whatever compromises she made in her career or her studies soon caught up with her – it took longer for her to earn her certificate as an LPN or to get a solid promotion in her work, but she eventually earned her certificate and to be promoted. But, she was there for the milestones of her daughter’s life and her marriage stayed strong throughout the years. And these important moments in her family could not be taken back if she would have missed them but her work and career could be regained and postponed. I imagine that she would advice me to make compromises but these compromises must always be in favor of her family. I know that she would advice me to be patient with my career and my studies because the opportunities may take longer to come, but with hard work and determination, the right opportunity often comes along just when I would need it. In the meantime, I know that Annie would advice me to enjoy the small and big moments with my family because I would be happier knowing that no matter how difficult my day is at work or in school, my family can make it all better. Based on this interview, advice, and the information discovered in Unit 1, I will rearrange my life and my activities to center on my family. For a while, I have always been a career-focused person and my activities with my family were always based on my work schedule. I can still follow my work schedule and then enjoy time with my family on the weekends, however, I need to be there – physically and emotionally for my family. When I am with my family, I need to disconnect myself from work concerns and just focus on being a wife and mother. I need to pay attention to what is happening in my family – in order to ensure that I do not miss signs which may indicate problems with my children or with my marriage. My family life has been a constant struggle with my children and husband complaining that I do not spend enough time with them. In the process, I seem to have missed the milestones in my children’s life. I missed the first time they went to school because I had to work. I missed my daughter’s ballet recital because I had a meeting to attend. Although I have been successful in my career, thus far, I seem to have missed out on my children growing up. I also have drifted emotionally away from my husband. Based mainly on my interview with Annie, I am resolved to make changes in my life and try to prioritize my family over and above my career. I could see that Annie was happy. Although she looked exhausted and weary, it was a happy and fulfilled exhaustion that shone through her eyes and her general demeanor. Read More