Being away from each & every one of our kids is a very strange thing. Our time without kids in tow has been SO rare the past 20+ years, that it is taking a lot to get used to. While the older girls, Tania & Ana moved out years ago & we have gotten used to not seeing them or hearing from them for longer periods of time, we still miss them being nearby & sharing day to day life. Olivia left us almost 2 years ago & our contact with her has come to a complete halt with zero communication in the past 6 months. We pray for her, for all of them daily.
More recently we "left home" in CA to return to "home" in Haiti...I guess...because that has been the home we've shared with Em & Tynan for the past 2 years... It IS confusing to have more than one home. Texas is another "home" in our hearts since that is where we lived for the past 8 years before moving overseas. Ana & Oliver have called Germany home since before his birth and yet there is Russia & the US as home" for her too!
I've been musing a lot on our complicated family. It certainly hasn't been an average childhood for any of them. Contemplating our kids' backgrounds and the international experiences has given me a deeper respect lately for all that they have been and are going through. They struggle at times and have a LOT to "process" as we call it, but they are each and everyone of them AMAZING human beings!!!
Falling into the typical "mom" role, I realize that I didn't often see that about them. As they have entered adulthood & I am able to let go of that (often overprotective & authoritative) mothering nature, I feel free to relax and let them find their way. Being away from them all has given me a wider view of who they each are as individuals. I admire their strengths and see the "hero" in each of their hearts as God continues to write their life stories.
These are a few recent media pieces that give me a greater awe of who they each are.
The twins have dealt with this background:
All of our kids now would be considered TCK - third culture kids.
“A third culture kid is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside their parents’ culture." (tckid.com)
Here are a couple of videos sharing the complexity of life as a TCK:
http://tckid.com/what-is-a-tck.html
These are just a couple of topics that touch on the complex lives that our kids are coping with at a young age. We pray that it will continue to mold them into amazing young adults with a better understanding & heart for the world, with compassion and love for all races, cultures & creeds.