To Be With My Family

Chloe is one of my favourite students. She hails from Switzerland but comes from a multi-lingual family so she speaks multiple languages. Along with her brother, they were both difficult to approach in the beginning but as months passed, they became my well-loved students.

As in the case of every expat families, either one or both of the parents are busy working since they are sent abroad because of their expertise. Though they have may perks including education for the children, a big house, paid utilities, insurances and the like, it’s not roses all the time. Working in a well-known firm also means long working hours, travelling elsewhere, and other issues. Thus, being with the family becomes a problem.

Chloe is vocal and she is not afraid to tell me if she is happy or unhappy with her homework, her school, of me, or of her family. One late afternoon, she was sharing her thoughts about her dad and his line of work. While listening to a nine year old girl about her sentiments, I had tears swelling in my eyes from what I was hearing. I mentioned how lucky she was to be attending one of the best schools in the world and living a secure life. Then she said and I quote, “I'd rather be poor and have dad be home all the time than be rich and have my dad never at home."

Wisdom comes from my four year old students and even from my oldest student aged 15. Their varied interests and rich experiences compliment my everyday existence as I get to be a part of their growth. Chloe’s wisdom gave me two things to think about: distance and affection. I felt unwanted so I left, and for many years the distance did affect my relationship with my family. I can never get what I missed and I could just regret on them. For Chloe, she will grow to be stronger and wiser. Her family knows about this so it is easy for them to make compromises. For me, it had been a long time and I was left with no choice.