Living Apart

It’s hard for families to live apart. But circumstances sometimes dictate where you will be. Work, a better living environment, to be close to family, or sometimes you just find living in another city or country more fun.

My daughter had the opportunity to live in another country for 5 years. It was a valuable and learning experience. It widened her horizon and changed some of her perspectives. It also forced her to be more mature because she was by herself and had to fend for her sustenance.

When she was away, I had difficulty coping with the fact that my daughter was away. I was dramatic every day. Paiyak-iyak ako. Now that my son is the one living far from us, there is some difference. My daughter was only a teener when we sent her to New York. My son was 25 when we forced him to board the plane. He didn’t know it was coming and he was going till two or three days before his flight. My daughter knew from the beginning that I wanted her to study abroad so she was more or less mentally and psychologically prepared at the age of 16. My son was not prepared at all.

Living away from my children is hard for me. I go on with my own activities but they are always in my heart and in my mind. They maybe full grown adults but a mother will always be worried and concerned of her children’s health, safety, freedom. If they are sleeping enough or eating right.

I hope living in a far away country all by himself will help shape my son’s character for the better and make him stronger and tougher as a person. He’s always been a good person, kind, loving and generous. I wish he’ll meet new friends who will become good influences and not bring him trouble unlike those he met in Manila in recent years. I also pray that God finds him a good wife in the future, maybe 5 years from now. Someone who would be his best friend and true life partner.

I met a single mom of 3 grown up boys on my flight back to Manila and she spoke about putting her sons’ welfare first up until they graduated from college. I admire her for that. I think mothers, no matter what the ages of her children are, will always have their welfare come first.