Do you have any family member
By JB_girl
@sol_cee (38931)
Philippines
March 1, 2023 4:57pm CST
who is working abroad?
It's been a month since my brother left for New South Wales, Australia, for work. It was an opportunity he simply couldn't turn down, even though it meant leaving behind his wife and two very young children.
His despedida (farewell) party was filled with tears, especially from my emotional mom.
Thankfully, someone gave my niece and nephew a very cute pug (photo above), which has helped keep them busy and entertained.
When I visited them last Sunday, I had a chance to talk with my sister-in-law and asked how she was coping. Technology makes things a little easier these days. They can video call whenever they want, which helps them stay connected.
The kids are still too young to fully understand that their dad is far away, but everyone is doing their best to make them feel loved and supported.
My five-year-old nephew is such a sweet boy. When we were leaving, he clung to me and didn't want to let go. I promised him we'd be back soon.
Sometimes we take it for granted when all our loved ones are close by. For many Filipino families, that's not the reality. So many parents, siblings, and spouses work abroad - not because they want to be away, but because they're chasing opportunities and dreams for their families.
You're lucky if you have all your family members with you. For us here, having a loved one working abroad is simply part of life.
24 people like this
23 responses
@brokenbee (11937)
• Philippines
2 Mar 23
My sister is in California.. She's been working there for almost 20 years now, I think, and she just came home last year.. Yup, that's the first time she came home after leaving for US.
My late father also worked abroad, since I was born and he just came home once a year.
4 people like this
@sol_cee (38931)
• Philippines
2 Mar 23
@brokenbee did you express any interest?
1 person likes this
@brokenbee (11937)
• Philippines
2 Mar 23
@sol_cee I think she has to petition my mother first... But I am not sure if she has plans...
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38931)
• Philippines
3 Mar 23
@sjvg1976 in the past, it was very difficult to maintain a long distance relationship with the absence of technology. I had a classmate whose mom was working in the middle east and they could only communicate by snail mail and occasional, very short telephone calls because it was too expensive
@aninditasen (18203)
• Raurkela, India
2 Mar 23
My younger son works in Copenhagen. He is married but he stays separately from his wife in the same city as she is not a good woman.
1 person likes this
@aninditasen (18203)
• Raurkela, India
3 Mar 23
@sol_cee He is safe as he is a tough man. It's not so easy to frighten him.
1 person likes this
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@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
1 Mar 23
I have learned a lot from myLot about the Philippines here solcee and that seems to be the case. It is sad.
But I have some experience of this as my own Mother had to do this.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
4 Mar 23
@sol_cee She was born in Ireland and had to lea ve here family and home to go to England and then here to the USA to work
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38931)
• Philippines
5 Mar 23
@RebeccasFarm i love Irish English accent but I’m sorry tp hear about her sacrifices 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128924)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Mar 23
I do not have any family members who work abroad, but I did have family members who served in the military and were stationed overseas.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128924)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Mar 23
@sol_cee I worked for the government in a different capacity, but I worked alongside many of our soldiers. The work I did was search and rescue and saving people, not shooting and killing people. Lol
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38931)
• Philippines
3 Mar 23
@moffittjc good thing you chose a different path
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (28451)
• Singapore
2 Mar 23
I left India forty years ago for Singapore and worked in Indonesia too.
Most of my family members are working outside of India.
It was not easy to leave behind my parents though my wife and later son were staying with me.
I took every opportunity to visit and look after them. They too visited us a few times.
Hope your brother's family can join him soon.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38931)
• Philippines
27 Jun
You're right. I can't imagine how families managed before video calls and messaging apps. At least now they can see each other's faces and stay connected.
And it’s nice that you and your sister are both in Europe. Germany and the Netherlands are fairly close, aren't they? Do you get to see each other often?
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (79473)
• Germany
28 Jun
@sol_cee Before the internet, we only call my parents in the Philippines through landline once a month as it was expensive before. Besides that, we stayed connected through sending letters.
Yes, it’s nice besides that we live near the border to the Netherlands. It’s only 2 hours drive to my sister. We see each other often during special occasions like birthday celebrations or Christmas and New Year.
@rsa101 (41277)
• Philippines
9 Mar 23
One benefit of technology is that it may keep us in touch with loved ones who are far away. Earlier, we could only communicate with them by snail mail or long-distance calls, but now, thanks to the internet, it's simple to connect with them in real-time. Their physical presence of them, which you will miss the most, is the only thing they cannot avoid.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98568)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
1 Mar 23
Glad your brother can keep in touch with technology I know that is very important. The dog is just adorable, How long will he be working there?
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98568)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
2 Mar 23
@sol_cee well I guess the compensation is the money he'll earn, being able to keep in touch, and two years will go quickly
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38931)
• Philippines
3 Mar 23
@RasmaSandra yeah, time flies and I hope he could survive life there miles away from his family
1 person likes this
@DianneN (254948)
• United States
5 Mar 23
No one works abroad in my family. Sometimes my older son has to attend meetings in London or Dubai, but they only last a day or two.
I notice a lot of people from the Philippines work abroad. My neighbor's father works in the US and goes home once a year for 3 months to visit family and give his money to them.
1 person likes this
