Come & Go
Dad is home, and for less than a month, we will
be a family portrait –complete and stable. I always like it when dad comes home,
I feel safer and Mom seems happier but we realized that this is never permanent
and he is only here for a short vacation. Almost yearly, there are nights when I
wet my pillow when I think that I only have a physical father for a month in a
year. But I always appease myself, thinking that some people just have to make
tremendous sacrifices for their family, and even if we don’t tell them we
appreciate them, deep inside our silence we really do.
It is really hard to far from family, and I
guess it’s one of the factors (aside my current job contract) I consider why at
this point, I don’t see myself working abroad. Ironically, my friend Lauro/Jhayr
left for Dubai
to work there. He’s the first in our circle of friends who decided to try his
luck abroad at the young age of 22. He had his ‘despedida’ some time in May
attended by family and friends. I never had the chance to come to his
invitation and to ask what his true motivation is. I mean it was not for
financial reasons, he is from a family above average, in fact they’re family
business alone could support them, their luxuries included. I guess, Jhayr’s
reason is something really personal, and not the stereotype reason why most people
decide to work abroad.
Another friend, I recently had to say goodbye to
(temporarily) is Sarita. I call her Jersey Girl now and it’s because of the
fact that she’s million miles away from Manila
and the 12 hour time difference with New Jersey . Her long-awaited opportunity to have an
onshore assignment, the fruits of her sacrifices at work has finally paid off,
and sent her in the States. I am just one super proud friend-slash-fan for her
achievement. I know she’s getting a lot
of new experiences there and making some sacrifices as well (missing family,
friends and pet!). I just can’t wait for September to hear all her stories
abroad.
Last June 12, I had my own goodbye to the people
at bench in 22nd floor—which has been my home at work for almost five months. I
have been assigned to a new project, and that means new experiences and maybe, new
sacrifices as well. The adjustment so far is never easy, but I find comfort with
the fact that I come home each day, and true enough, there’s no place in this
world like home.
