WC Kicks Off Summer Earn & Learn Program, Connecting Students With Disabilities To Meaningful Employment
AUSTIN ⎯ The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announces the kickoff of this year’s Summer Earn and Learn (SEAL) program for students with disabilities aged 14-22. Through work-based learning, youth earn a paycheck while learning new skills and gaining professional experience. Employers participating in SEAL benefit from the addition of engaged and enthusiastic team members.
SEAL, a partnership between TWC, Workforce Solutions Boards and Texas Workforce Solutions-Vocational Rehabilitation Services (TWS-VRS), works with local employers who partner to create meaningful work opportunities. Students participating in SEAL attend work readiness training to prepare them for successful employment. During their work-based learning, students earn a paycheck while acquiring new skills and professional experiences.
“The Texas economy is stronger when all Texans contribute to its success,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “The Summer Earn and Learn program opens up a new talent pool for Texas employers trying to keep up with labor demands as our economy continues to grow.”
This past summer, Cassidy, a student who is deaf, gained work experience and improved her communication skills while earning a paycheck with CVS Health, a partner in Goodwill’s SEAL in Tarrant County. With the support of her job coach and a sign language interpreter, Cassidy felt welcomed at her job and her confidence grew as a result.
“I was excited and nervous, but I knew that I would rather have a job than do nothing over the summer,” said Cassidy. “I walk the aisles and when I see things in the wrong place, I pick them up and I find out where they belong. I have a scanner that I use that tells me where to put it in the right place. Sometimes, it’s tough to communicate with people and I tend to get tired pretty easily, but having interpreters here really helps with the communication barriers that I experience. CVS is a good start to my experience with work, because I enjoy what I do here.”
Watch Cassidy’s story here.
“Summer Earn and Learn provides students with disabilities the opportunity to learn and take on responsibilities associated with careers they might choose for their future,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez. “This program helps students return to school with positive work experiences, meaningful skill sets, and confidence that they can pursue their career goals.”
The SEAL program has grown to nearly 1,100 worksites, which have included a variety of both private and public sector employers, such as Typhoon Texas in Houston, Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, the City of Lubbock, Coastal Bend College in Beeville, Lampasas Chamber of Commerce, Sea World San Antonio and Sapling Farms in Sanger.
Employers who have participated in SEAL express positive experiences, appreciate having the additional help on their teams and broaden their perspectives from working with students with disabilities.
“Summer Earn and Learn connects Texas employers to their local workforce talent, which includes students with disabilities, who will soon be entering the workforce,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson. “People with disabilities are the true problem solvers of our society, and employers seeking to add a valuable, committed, and reliable team member to their workforce will find this program incredibly valuable.”
For two years, Dallas-Fort Worth area business Movie Tavern has welcomed several students for summer employment through the SEAL Program. Terry Sullivan, General Manager of the Bedford location of Movie Tavern is appreciative of the help and has also hired two students as full-time employees.
“It’s an exciting thing for us to work with Goodwill. It’s a win-win for us and for the students who get some practical experience from working on the job and it’s extra labor for us,” said Sullivan. “They get to grow with the company. They are a great asset and a great help to Movie Tavern.”
Watch more about Movie Tavern’s SEAL students’ experiences here.
Students interested in participating in SEAL should contact their local TWS-VRS office:
Visit: twc.texas.gov/VRNearMe
Call: 512-936-6400
Email: [email protected]
###amw
The Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and the services it offers in coordination with its network of local workforce development boards, call 512-463-8942 or visit www.texasworkforce.org. To receive notifications about TWC programs and services subscribe to our email updates.
Yantis High School Advances To Bi-District OAP Contest, Students Earn 7 Individual Awards
Yantis High School advanced Tuesday to bi-district competition with their performance of Mr. Flannery’s Ocean in the UIL District One Act Play Contest at Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, and seven students won individual accolades as well.
Students spent 8 weeks rehearsing in preparation for the District OAP Contest.
Jasney Hinton and Alivia Thompson were named Outstanding Technical Crew and Jasney received an individual Tech Award.
Brittany Kennedy and Turner Hathcoat received Honorable Mention All Star Cast recognition. Zach Long and Sarah Perry received All Star Cast honors. Bryleigh Hurley won one of two Best Performer awards presented at the contest.
Congratulations to these theater students for advancing to the Bi-District contest scheduled March 18 in Sulphur Springs.
Track and Field Have Great Outing Last Friday in Gilmer, Back in Action Thursday
Track and field had their opening relay Friday, Mar. 4 in Gilmer.
Lady Cats Tack & Field
On the women’s side, Sulphur Springs had a solid showing for their first invitational.
Six Lady Cats finished in the top seven, with two Lady Cats winning their respective events.
Field Events
Sophomore Mary Taylor finished 6th in the girls’ high jump at 4’8″.
Claire Bybee picked up where she left off last season which saw the Senior advance to state, taking gold for the pole vault with a winning mark of 12′. Freshman Jaicee Jasmer finished right behind Bybee in 2nd at 11′.
Jayden Holly got 6th in shot put throwing it 29’11”.
Running Events
In the 400 meter dash, Jasmer finished 1st winning the event with a time of 1:03.18.
Lady Cats track and field compiled 29.5 points in Gilmer, good for 8th place at the Buckeye Relays Friday.
Wildcats Track & Field
The men had an incredibly successful outing, placing 5th in a crowded meet of talented schools.
Running Events
Cable Glenn placed 5th in the 100 M dash at a time of 11:31. Alex Flecker finished 2nd in the 800 M run crossing the line at 2:07.80.
In the 1600 M run, Jose Mejia got 4th with a time of 4:50:91.
Landon Fields got 6th in the 110 M hurdles at a time of 17.15.
- Fields also placed 6th in 300 M hurdles, with a time of 43.40.
In the 4×100 M relays, the Wildcat team of CJ Williams, Malachi Roland, Quinten Ziretta and Cable Glenn placed 5th at a time of 43.62.
Weston Fields, Quinten Ziretta, Cable Glenn and Adam Peckham got 6th in the 4x200M relays crossing the line at 1:36:64.
Field Events
Sean Dial got a point for his team when he placed fifth Friday in shot put, hurling it 42’1.5″.
Triple jump proved to be one of the best events for Sulphur Springs as three athletes placed in the top five, compiling 14 points between the three:
- Jermain Cleveland — 4th, 4 points: 42’10.5″
- Korderian “Bull” Turner — 2nd, 8 points: 43’10.25″
- Justin Debase — 5th, 2 points: 42’5″
Fields won the High Jump event at 6′. Caden Spigener at 5’8″ finished in 5th.
- High jump got 12 more points for the Wildcats, thanks in large part to Fields getting 10 from winning the event.
Ty Bybee pole vaulted himself 12′, getting 3rd place and 6 points.
Coach Matt Young’s squad compiled for 54.5 points, more than good enough for 5th place at the Gilmer Buckeye Relays.
Next up, Sulphur Springs Track and Field are back in action Thursday in Lindale. That relay begins on Thursday, Mar. 10 at 4 P.M.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Jaquan Jones Signs Letter of Intent with Clarke University
Senior Jaquan Jones, a player for both Wildcats football and basketball, signed a letter of intent Wednesday, Mar. 9 to play on at the next level at Clarke University.
Jones is the son of Melissa Pryor.
The Wildcats senior has yet to make his official visit to campus, but says he will do so after Spring Break.*
Jones met the coaching staff over Zoom call a few weeks ago.
The senior said he thought Clarke has a solid coaching staff and is excited with the incoming players that are also joining the Pride this season.
The dual-sport athlete said that Clarke University just felt like the right fit for him.
Jones plays on in college for the Pride as OLB.
The senior anticipates being a hybrid defensive linemen, a player who switches between playing on the line of scrimmage and playing linebacker. Jones said he would mostly be playing OLB for the Pride.
The senior plans to major in business administration.
Powerlifting and defensive line coach Casey Jeter said Jones has been an inspiration, fighting back from injuries to come back and play his Senior year.
Coach Jeter said Jones has been a great athlete and teammate during his time in Sulphur Springs.
His dedication to his team and hard work-ethic has allowed the Senior to sign on to play football at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa.
* — Editor’s note: SSISD’s Break is next week, Mar. 19-22, 2022.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Chamber Connection – March 9: Golf Tourney, Kids Kingdom Rehab, Marketing Speaker, After Hours Mixer Among Upcoming Activities
By Butch Burney, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO, [email protected]
Get your registration in now for the 33rd Annual Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament, coming to Sulphur Springs Country Club on Friday, April 8.
Last year, we had 35 teams participate in the fun day of golfing, and we hope to have more this year. The tournament format is a six-person scramble, with the low net team putting their names on the trophy.
There are two tee times: 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The morning group is limited to 18 teams, while the afternoon group can have 25 teams maximum. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Register early to get your choice of tee times.
Registration is $750 per team, and that includes three carts, 12 mulligans, six meals, range balls, company banner on hole No. 1 and sponsor list recognition. There are also opportunities to contribute goody bag items, hole sponsorships and for interactive hole sponsorships.
To register, go to the Chamber website at HopkinsChamber.org or call the office at 903-885-6515.
Showing Love to Kids Kingdom
Plans are coming together to re-fit and rehab Kids Kingdom in Buford Park.
This year’s Leadership Class has adopted the rehabilitation of Kids Kingdom, everyone’ favorite playground as its class project. And just like when it was constructed 25 years ago, everyone is invited to help.
The Leadership Class has designated the weekend of April 22-24 as work days to re-stain all the wood in Kids Kingdom. It will be professionally power washed before that weekend to prepare for the staining.
The class is also planning to replace and/or repair the equipment, such as the handicap swing, chains, swings, tires, etc. for the playground, restore the ground mulch and install lighting for safety and security.
The class needs your help not only with the physical part of the restoration but also the financial part. A cornhole tournament and silent auction is scheduled for March 26 at Backstory Brewery. There are also sponsorship levels for businesses/corporations that might want to pay for specific items for Kids Kingdom.
For cornhole registration or sponsorship, go to the chamber website at HopkinsChamber.org or call the chamber at 903-885-6515.
There will also be a grand re-opening hamburger lunch at Kids Kingdom sometime in May when the work is complete.
Thanks in advance for helping showing love to Kids Kingdom.
Patriot Sporting Challenge
The 4th Annual Lake Fork Patriot Sporting Challenge will be the day after the Chamber Golf Tournament, so you can make it a whole sporting weekend.
The Patriot Sporting Challenge, on April 9, is a special one-day event benefiting the families of military heroes with a morning competition of shooting, golfing and fishing and a celebration of patriotism.
Each four-person team competes in two of the sporting challenges (shooting, golfing and fishing), and they all come together that evening at the Hopkins County Civic Center for a dinner and address from keynote speaker Greg Stube, Green Beret. Following that, there will be a concert/dance by Cooper Wade and band.
That evening’s support of patriotism is open to the public for $600 for a table for eight. The evening includes casino games, a reception, raffles and drawings and a catered dinner along with the concert and dance.
All proceeds from the event go to the Folds of Honor, a nonprofit providing education scholarships to the children and spouses of those killed or disabled in action.
For more information, go to PatriotSportingChallenge.org, email [email protected] or text to 817-296-8985.
Marketing Strategy
Marketing expert Melissa Forziat will be in Sulphur Springs on Thursday, March 31, for an in-person presentation on how to Create a Profitable Marketing Strategy. Her visit is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center at Paris Junior College.
Forziat will speak at 5 p.m. March 31 at City Hall. There is no charge for the event, but registration is requested. To sign-up, call the Chamber at 903-885-6515 or email [email protected].
The session will talk about how to build a marketing funnel for your business to grow the relationships with your audience and generate more sales. You will discover how to build more sales, referrals and loyalty from your audience.
Grow and Go
The Chamber has a vacancy in one of our Grow and Go offices. The Grow and Go is a business incubator that is designed to help small businesses get off the ground.
The 10 ½ x 12 ½ office is housed in the Chamber building at 110 Main Street. The rent is $250 per month for the first year, and that price includes use of the Chamber WiFi and printer.
If you’re interested, contact me at [email protected] or call 903-885-6515.
Business After Hours
You can get your green on on St. Patrick’s Day when The Plant Niche will host the next Business After Hours, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17. Business After Hours is a time to network and socialize in an informal setting.
The Plant Niche is located at 222 Tomlinson St. The event is free and open to the public.
Blood Drives
Carter BloodCare will have two blood drives in Sulphur Springs in the next week.
On Saturday, March 12, the Carter bus will be at Brookshire’s Food Store at 809 Gilmer St., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The drive is sponsored by American Legion Post 66 and VFW Post 8560. To schedule an appointment, contact Andy Lowen at 903-355-3733 or [email protected].
On Tuesday, March 15, the bus will be parked in the CHRISTUS’ front parking lot from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. To schedule an appointment to donate blood, contact Patricia Wilson at 903-438-4380 or call/text 800-366-2834.
As a thank you, all donors at each site will receive a stainless steel water bottle while supplies last.
Health Seminar
In partnership with CHRISTUS Health, Columbia Lodge #81 invites you to attend an event aimed to build a community that is more secure, productive, healthy, and hopeful. Local experts will speak on a variety of health-related topics that will educate and empower community members to take charge of their own health and well-being.
The event will be held Saturday, March 12, from 8 a.m. to noon at the HW Grays Building at Pacific Park, 413 Beckham St. This event is free and everyone is welcome. For more information, contact Bryan Vaughn at [email protected].
Night With Champions
Texas A&M-Commerce is hosting a Night With Champions, celebrating student-athlete success and the university’s transition to Division I on Friday, April 8, at the Rayburn Student Center.
The event starts at 5:15 with a VIP reception and the program begins at 7 p.m. Proceeds support student-athlete scholarships. For more information, contact Lion Athletics at 903-468-8760 or email [email protected].
Business of the Week
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is the Business of the Week for March 9. Keep up with our Business of the Week by following the Chamber on Instagram, Facebook and by visiting our website.
4 SSHS Chapter Members Advance To National BPA Meet, 4 Named As Alternates
Eight members of the Sulphur Springs High School Business Professionals of America Chapter are advancing to the BPA National Leadership Conference in Dallas on May 4-8, 2022.
Four students qualified for nationals by placing in the top three in their competition at the Texas State Leadership Conference March 2-5 in Fort Worth.
“We are so proud of these students!” said Jenny Arledge, Director of College & Career Readiness/CTE Director at SSHS.
Jonah Foster won first place honors in Human Resource Management. Mackenzie Posey earned second place honors in in the Administrative Support Research Project category. Advancing to state by placing third are Jacob Semler in Advanced Word Processing and Jacob Beggs in Device Configuration and Troubleshooting.
Four SSHS BPA students placed as alternates to nationals by placing 4-10 in their events at state. Placing fourth were Jaci Robinson in Administrative Support Research Project and Ashland Hooten in Prepared Speech. Peyton Willis placed eighth in Advanced Office Procedures, and Annaston Price placed 10th in Intermediate Word Processing.
Also participating at state were Emily Atkinson, Matthew Atkinson, Mika Boren, Macey Williams, Ryan Mitchell, Brooklyn Shelton, Gavin Schroeder, Kylie Clarke, and Andres Flores.
Sponsors include Lynn Smith, Heath Robinson, and Jordan Owens.
Congratulations to all of these students on their achievements.
Wildcats Soccer Wins Big at Pine Tree 6-2, Clinches Playoff Berth
Men’s soccer kept the goals coming, winning big 6-2 at Pine Tree on Tuesday, Mar. 8.
Tuesday’s win in Longview clinched a playoff spot for Coach Alexi Upton’s squad. The win is the third straight for men’s soccer.
Sulphur Springs put in goals from four different players, with three more Wildcats assisting on goals in the win.
Alex Yanez got the brace in Longview, scoring the fourth and fifth goals thanks to assists from Uriel Santacruz and Angel Andino, respectively.
Santacruz and Andino both scored goals of their own in different fashion. The former was assisted on the second goal of the game by JC Salas. The latter put one in the net on a free kick.
Mariano Cuarenta (assisted by Aubrey Camacho) scored the sixth and final goal for men’s soccer as the Wildcats routed Pine Tree in Longview 6-2.
Following the win Tuesday Coach Upton’s team now sports a 7-14-2 overall record (6-5 district).
The win at Pine Tree also clinches a playoff berth for Sulphur Springs. After Tuesday’s win men’s soccer remain in third place in 15-5A.
The Wildcats head into their final district game next Tuesday sporting a three-game winning streak.
Men’s soccer have a bye Friday before their Senior Night contest hosting Hallsville on Tuesday, Mar. 15.
That game kicks off at the Prim next Tuesday at 7:15 P.M.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Sulphur Springs ISD 2022-2023 School Calendar Approved On 6-1 Vote
The Sulphur Springs ISD 2022-2023 school calendar was approved this week on a 6-1 vote of the school board, with trustee John Prickette citing a need for more classroom instructional days when voting against the calendar as proposed.
The calendar is very similar to the 2021-2022 school instructional calendar, with one noted exception. Staff preparation and work days will be on Mondays instead of Fridays, according to Sulphur Springs ISD Superintendent Michael Lamb, who said campus committees had reviewed proposed calendar and made recommendations prior to it being submitted for board approval on March 7, 2022.
As was the case in the past year, the calendar has the bell ringing for the start of classes at 7:50 a.m., and the tardy bell ringing at 8 a.m. Monday-Friday during the 2022-2023 school year at SSISD. The school day will end at 3:30 p.m. for all campuses. That gives the district 460 minutes in class daily during regular days, and 310 minutes on early release days. The first 10 minutes of the day are before the tardy bell rings, but do count toward the district’s overall count, which meets requirements, Lamb noted.
The district plans to apply for a waiver for 5 staff training days. With the longer school days, the district banks time. Overall, that’s 9 earned days. Counting teacher days, that’s 187 days in the school calendar, 21 that are teacher training days. With waivers and school teacher days, that leaves 175 student days.
“This has too few students days and too many teacher training days. I do not think this is the right calendar for our district. We are 4-5 days under other districts around. Kids need to be in class,” Prickette said during the regular March meeting of Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees, held Monday evening, March 7, 2022.
The district this year had 5.7 banked days, which means the district has already put in five days and won’t have to request a waiver for the 5 days missed due to inclement weather and COVID in the past couple of months. The district is currently 15 minutes shy of completely making up that time, Lamb noted. Those minutes should be made up by the end of the year during the regular school day. So having the longer school days, from 7:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, has paid off.
Staff days would be Mondays, Sept. 26, Oct. 10, Nov. 7, Nov. 28, Feb. 13, March 20, April 10 and May 15, as well as Monday-Tuesday, Jan. 2-3, 2023. This would give teachers a day after Thanksgiving holiday, two days after Christmas break day, and a day after spring break, as well as a day between the four grading periods for teacher training and staff preparation.
New teachers would report for orientation Aug. 2-3, 2022, with the rest of the staff reporting for the 2022-2023 for back to school preparation days Aug. 4-5, Aug. 8-12, and Aug. 15-16. Teacher too would report for duty May 25-26, two days after classes are dismissed for students for the spring semester. This would put end the school year before Memorial Day.
Students will report for the first day of classes on Aug. 17, and the last day of school will be May 24, 2023, with graduation Friday, My 26, 2023 for the Senior Class of 2023.
The first 9-weeks grading period would end end Oct. 7, 2022. The second would span Oct. 11-Dec. 16, the third Jan. 4-March 10, 2023, and the fourth March 21-May 24.
Holidays for students and staff will be Labor Day, Sept. 5, 2022; Fall Festival, Oct. 21, 2022; Thanksgiving break, Dec. 19-30, 2022; Christmas break, Dec. 19-30, 2022; Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 16, 2023; NETLA Day, Feb. 24, 2023, to allow students to participate in and support family and friends showing livestock projects in the show; spring break, March 13-17, 2023; Good Friday, April 7, 2023; and Memorial Day, May 29, 2023.
Designated as early release days are Friday, Nov. 18 (the last class day before Thanksgiving break); Friday, Dec. 16 (the last class day before Christmas break); and May 24 (the last day of school). Early release days will begin at 7:50 a.m. as usual but classes will end at 1 p.m. on these three days.
The district will observe summer hours, with school offices closed on Fridays in July 2022 and beginning June 9, 2023.
A copy of the SSISD 2022-2023 instructional school calendar may be viewed and download from the school website, www.ssisd.net, and clicking on the calendar menu on the main page.
Lady Cats Soccer Falls to Pine Tree on Senior Night, 4-1
Women’s soccer got up early but could not hold it, falling to Pine Tree 4-1 on Tuesday, Mar. 8 at Gerald Prim Stadium.
Sulphur Springs scored a goal in the first 10 minutes of action to go up 1-0, but it did not last for long.
The visiting Lady Pirates scored four unanswered goals to beat Lady Cats soccer 4-1 on Tuesday, Mar. 8 for women’s soccer’s Senior Night.
While Pine Tree may have underestimated Sulphur Springs, giving up a goal early, the Lady Pirates awoke, maintaining possession for a good majority of the game.
Pine Tree scored two goals in both periods.
Two Lady Cats played their final game at Gerald Prim Stadium: #00 Mia Jones and #22 Jolene Carpenter, who saw playing time in the loss Tuesday.
The 4-1 loss to Pine Tree is the final home match for women’s soccer, ending their season next Tuesday on the road.
The loss to the visiting Lady Pirates drops Coach Aguayo’s team’s season record to 5-15-2 (2-9 district).
Sulphur Springs has their final bye of district play and concludes their season Tuesday, Mar. 15 at Hallsville.
That game kicks off at Bobcat Stadium Tuesday at 7:15 P.M.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Date Nights & Annoying Quirks
By Johanna Hicks, Texas AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health Agent, Hopkins County, [email protected]
If you have kept up with my columns, you know that I am an advocate for strong marriages. Strong marriages make strong families and strong families make strong communities. I know there are circumstances that are beyond control, but for the most part, marriages can be enhanced in many ways. For example, how long has it been since you and your spouse went on a date night?
Making time to go out can be tough. Whether you have young children, busy schedules, limited resources, or are just plain tired, there seem to be factors working against couples who want to enjoy date nights on a regular basis. Erin and Todd Stevens, director of National Marriage week and speaker and author, point out that several recent studies are shining a light not only on the benefits of date nights. They found that weekly date nights might not be the best. However, studies found that couples with children who had date nights once a month had the greatest benefit. (Cohabiting parents did not experience the same benefit.) Over a 10-year period, married parents were 57% less likely to break up than parents who were simply cohabiting.
Positive outcomes depend less on what activities the couples do and more on how they feel about doing them together. The priority should be on something you both will enjoy rather than trying to plan the most creative or exciting activity.
So how do date nights strengthen marriages? For starters, these planned outings give coupes vital shared time. Since individuals continue to change over time, a date night provides the much-needed opportunity for communication that deepens the couple’s understanding the other and the relationship. This allows them to be more prepared to tackle new challenges and problems they will inevitably experience. Because date nights involve stepping outside normal routines and pressing concerns of everyday life, they also provide an incredible stress reliever, improving emotional support during difficult times.
On another note, if your spouse has a quirk that is driving you crazy – such as triple-checking to make sure the doors are locked or the thermostat is turned down upon leaving the house – researchers found that those very habits that initially annoy us eventually begin to amuse us. The study found that married couples show more humor and tenderness toward each other as they age.
Humor can certainly help maintain a healthy perspective. When we laugh, chemicals like endorphins and oxytocin enter our bloodstream. You may have already known those chemicals trigger feelings of pleasure. It turns out they also cause us to feel more connected to the person with whom we are laughing. That’s why laughing together is so important. Besides being a lot more fun than arguing about where the thermostat should be set, laughter is a proven indicator of greater relationship quality.
So make an effort in your relationship by doing something that is likely to make both of you laugh. Whether it is watching a light-hearted movie, playing a board game, or reminiscing about some of the funny or embarrassing things you’ve experienced together, create opportunities for shared laughter. Not only is humor good for your should – it’s even better for relating to you soulmate.
For more information on this and other relationship topics, check out the National Association of Relationships and Marriage Education (NARME).
Closing Thought
You career is what you’re paid for. Your purpose is what you’re made for.
– Krish Dhanam
Contact Johanna Hicks, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Family & Community Health Agent, at the Hopkins County Extension Office, P.O. Box 518, 1200-B West Houston, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483; by phone at 903-885-3443; or by email at [email protected].
