Our Big Ate is Class President!

"congratulations again to our big ate for being elected class president... at age 8, she had already achieved things i could only wish for myself, another reminder that i should not make her live my dreams as she could definitely do better!" - My Expat Mommy (from MY EXPAT MOMMY on FB)


I received a call from our Big Ate yesterday just before I was about to leave to pick her up from school. She called to tell me that she had been elected as Class President for their Grade 3 class. Was I so happy and proud! For somebody who was very timid and shy as a child (but had always been mistaken to be intimidating), I was so overwhelmed by our Big Ate's accomplishment. Of course I am always proud of all my children's accomplishments, most of them academics, but this one is particularly special to me as it reflects our Big Ate's excellence other aspects of her life as well. As the girls grow older, it had been one of my fears that they'd be just like me, lacking in inter-personal skills which I have carried through my adulthood. I can still remember when our Big Ate was just starting school, I was more concerned about how happy she was and if she had made any friends than the results of her tests and quizzes, since at an early age she had already shown potential in academics so it had already built my confidence in her on that aspect. 
When the girls relocated to the Philippines with the Expat Daddy, I was so concerned that it would affect their performance in school, that they would be insecured without a mommy attending their school programs and PTA conferences. I thank God for the Expat Daddy who had filled in that void for me, who had been a daddy, mommy and friend to them. They had never felt parent-less in all those times. I also thank God that for all those teachers who had patiently explained to them why I had to stay behind in Qatar, and how lucky they still are for having their Dad with them when some of their classmates' parents are both working abroad. And last but not least, I thank God for letting us find our every dependable and loving Yaya who had been very caring to my girls while I was away and have treated them not just wards but family. She had been their big sister all those times and accommodated their every whim, listened to their stories as they watch their favorite TV shows and assisted them on all those school programmes I could not attend.
Now, three years after, I realized it wasn't so bad. Although I was away, I made sure to call them every afternoon to listen to their stories on how their days went in school and after school, I also made sure to see them after every three months (no matter what cost) and be with them during Christmas most of all.. The only thing I missed was 2 of their birthdays when I was not able to get a full month vacation before the Christmas season. 
Still, I am aware of the other side, the good side to it. The girls became independent and responsible. They also conquered some of their fears. They had formed a special bond between them that no one can break. I am always in awe when I see them chatting to each other like friends, sharing tips on how to play those computer games and stories on how their favorite show's plot developed. Had I been with them, surely they will continue to be my big babies, personally being dropped off and picked up to and from school, not managing to make friends. I can now see the confidence in them that they can face anyone without any inferiority because they now know their strengths. With our without their mommy behind them, they can go out into the world head on and find their way. And now, our Big Ate is class president! I know had she not gone back to the Philippines, she would not have developed that inner strength of character to become a leader. How was I to know that? ---- simple, they never learned to swim until the time I wasn't looking! 
See.... there's always a bright side to every setback, we just need to make and effort to look on the good side rather than focus on the bad :)