living life in a different country, different culture, different experiences; being different
This is the first Christmas we spend with just the 2 of us because our son is now living with my mum, waiting to serve in the military (NS for Singaporeans). It will be a quiet one because we just got back from Singapore. More on our trip to Singapore later. For now, we send our Christmas greetings to you all.
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See the picture above? Those are my son’s things he has decided will be going with him to Singapore, where he has chosen to serve his NS (National Service). See my post from July regarding his graduation and NS.
It’s a milestone and quite a big one. Many have been asking how we, as parents, feel about him leaving the nest.
Well, there’s a part of me who can not believe he’s already at this stage of his life, there’s another part of me who is very proud that he has come this far, yet another part of me is uncertain. Uncertain of how I would navigate this change, manage the physical distance and balance mothering while giving him the space to fully become the young adult he needs to be.
I turn to others who have already walked this path and to God who is my constant guide through life.
Another question friends ask us is what we would do now, as empty-nesters. A friend related how his parents told him they had to relearn how to just be a married couple again. I guess that might be one part of it.
It will be an adjustment but it will also be an opportunity for us to move into different roles. By this I mean, we will always be his parents but our role will shift gears into being advisers rather than direct influencers. I feel it would probably be the same in our relationship as a married couple; we would move from being parents first to giving priority to being a partner for each other.
I am sad yet excited, proud yet ambivalent, wanting to reach for the future while still holding onto memories.
For now, I tell myself to remain cool and calm and tell you, with my heart at busting point, my boy passed his driving test and can now legally drive! Another milestone – what else can a parent be but proud 😀
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I am a proud mother of a young man who has graduated from the Gynamisum in Solothurn, Switzerland. That’s pre-uni level for our family and friends in other parts of the world.
So he has breezed through 2 years of kindergarten, found his feet during 6 years in primary school, survived 2 years of secondary school and put in the hard work for his 4 years of Gymi (pre-uni); a total of 14 years of formal education!
There was a lovely graduation ceremony at the end of June. I really liked it. It was filled with speeches, music and dance. One of the more moving and inspiring speeches was by this well-known singer/poet who has Iranian heritage (I have sadly forgotten her name) and she spoke so movingly about how women in Iran have no movement in all aspects of their lives, thus have little choice in their direction in life. The ceremony’s theme was Movement – so she encouraged the graduates to take hold of their options to have choices and to move forwards in life.
Here are a few photos from that lovely ceremony, which took place in a redevelopment of an old cement factory:
Next chapter for my boy – National Service in Singapore. While he has deferment pending renunciation of citizenship, he has chosen to serve. We fully support his decision. It would be good for him to experience life in Singapore and have some time to consider what he might want to do for further studies or a career.
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trippingdifferently 