Today is my mom's birthday and although I'm not around to give her a hug I've been thinking of her constantly throughout the day.
My mom is a very interesting lady. You remember that part in the "The Goonies" when Mikey tells Willy the pirate "you were the first Goonie Willy" ??? Well, with all this blogging going around about life as an expat that line reminds me so much of my mom.....
Mom, it all started with you, YOU were the first expat...
I know it's from both my parents I got the "travelling genes" but it's from my mom that I inherited the courage to "sail off" to another country not caring that I didn't speak the language and without any precise objective except to taste life in a foreign country. It is thanks to the example she gave me everyday while growing up that I am now able to fully appreciate life as an expat enjoying the good and accepting the bad and knowing the difference. Without knowing it, she showed me how to stay true to myself and to my roots, to continue to love my country and to accept its defaults even after having left and at the same time being able to appreciate and to accept all the quirkiness of the country that has adopted me. Although I know it was often quite frustrating for her, she nevertheless taught me a very valuable lesson : don't take yourself too seriously. It is only now that I begin to fully appreciate the greatness of this lesson: it is when you have learned to make fun of yourself and stay cool that you can get through any situation in a foreign country, no matter how difficult or impossible it may seem.
Whenever I realize I've made an (embarrassing, terrible, stupid, etc) language mistake I simply remember my mom asking to buy "los tortillas" or to "play la fluta" and I realize that it's ok and this is all part of the game....
So thank you mom for these and so many other great lessons. You were the first expat. Happy happy birthday and big hugs from your loving daughter.
Fned.
P.S. You are also a Goonie ;)
P.S.2 : Now if you could just also pass on some of your writing talents I'm sure Fned's blog would be a lot more interesting.....
2 comments:
Awwww what a sweet post!
Happy Birthday mom from me too!!!
Nice to hear that you actually consider me an example for yourself in life; couldn't ask for more as that's what a parent strives to be for their kids... don't know about being the first expat, but kinda nice to be identified with the Goonies, and as for talents in writing - why do you think people flock to your blog??? You've got plenty of writing talent girl!
As for my b'day, it was scary to know I'm no longer the age I had gotten so comfortable with, but funnily enough, now that it's the day after my b'day, I find it easy to feel at home being this new number. Has a nice ring to it!
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