From Safe and Secure, Six Steps to a GoodLife
Relationships play an important role in enabling our sons and daughters to contribute their gifts. From the comfort of supportive friends, family and Personal Network Members, people with disabilities can find opportunities to work, volunteer, create, inspire, care, serve and contribute.
Our family members make contributions in two ways:
CONTRIBUTION OF DOING: These are the action-oriented contributions we are most familiar with, such as volunteering and working.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF BEING: These are contributions made by the majesty of our relative’s presence. Being present is an important way for our family members to make their contribution. The exchange is fellowship and communion. Our relatives offer grace, caring, attentiveness, wonder, acceptance, silence, receptivity, compassion, inspiration, pleasure, gratitude, loyalty and friendship. These gifts–often overlooked in our society–are critical to society’s well-being. In fact, they are a necessary antidote to “too much doing.”
Identifying the gifts and contributions of our relatives leads to meaningful relationships. See Worksheet 5.
Tyze is an online service that works to create and maintain Personal Networks and is based on the proven PLAN network facilitation model. Tyze is about the person at the centre of the network and the connections among the network members. It’s a place to celebrate contributions and achievements; it’s a way to stay connected to friends and loved ones. Please visit www.tyze.com.