"Why can't we just get on an airplane and eat airplane food?"
This is what my Little Pumpkin (kiddo #3) asked me last night as she cried herself to sleep. I always try to be sensitive in my responses to Little Pumpkin because she has a very tender heart, but I could not help but chuckle out loud.
Her statement was funny, but the issue behind the statement made my heart hurt.
She misses Indonesia! She misses her home!
We all miss Indonesia. It became a second home for my wife and I. But for our girls, it was the only home that they really knew. Moving back to the United States is the foreign land for my princesses. Granted they look like everyone else, but in their hearts and minds, they are not like the rest of us.
Flying on airplanes is a fond memory for my girls. They enjoyed about 2-3 trips each year, including trips out of Indonesian to fulfill VISA requirements, trips to visit the doctor/dentist, and trips for meetings that the entire family attended.
We did our best to make flying an exciting event in order to mitigate fear or anxiety of flying. Apparently, we succeeded!
I love that my daughter misses her home because our life in Indonesia was meaningful. And as I sang her to sleep last night, there was a part of me that wanted to jump on an airplane and eat some airplane food, because I miss home too!
@SumatraNate
Image Source:
https://pixabay.com/en/aircraft-manchester-jet-fly-994943/
You made me sad!
Oh, leaving home is always difficult...
I did not mean to make you sad. You are correct. It is hard to leave home.
Aw, Bless her! There is no place like home. We all have a yearning for it, so I can understand your little girl's feelings. Although I have been way from Scotland since 1974 now, and I am an American citizen, I still think of it as home and will do forever. I say I am going home when I go to visit Scotland, but say I'm going home when I leave to come back to the states. LOL!
Thanks for stopping by and showing support. This tension we face reminds me that this world is not the home I am looking for. That there is an eternal desitination that will satify my heart and the hearts of my kiddos.
Oh so true. We have a yearning for our true homes.
I’m sure they will settle down soon when they know that home for now is with their family. I moved a lot when my kids were little and remember how hard it was for them to leave the familiar behind. Nowadays they tell me that what made it easier was that each always had his best friend along on the moves. They are only 22 months apart.
It's a difficult one. The sense of home in small children develops very young. We are living in Canada (from Australia) and our kids don't remember home as Australia. Thanks for posting. The airline food gave me a laugh.
Thanks for the comment. It is a great opportunity to raise our kids in another culture. What a blessing! But it is challenging when we took them from their "home" to return back the US where I was born and raised.
More than anything I hope they can love others better because of both experiences.
Saya sedih mendengar ceritanya pak @sumatranate, apa lagi jika ada keingingan anak kita yang tidak bisa kita penuhi
Saya punya saran, jika satu hari dalam seminggu anda dan keluarga berbicara dalam bahasa Indonesia dan masak masakan indonesia yang disukai anak-anak anda, mungkin dengan begitu akan sedikit terobati kerinduan pulang ke "rumah"
Salam
Ada pasar Asia di kota kami. Kami sering makan nasi goreng and mie goreng dan bagi cerita untuk terobati kerinduan kami.
I think it's great that your girls got to grow up in a different culture for part of their childhood. I can certainly understand why they are sad now, but they will always look back on their time in Indonesia fondly and be better people in life for having the experience.
I completely agree. I am glad that they had exposure to a different culture and will now be able to look at people who are different with sensitivity and love.
Upvoted. Great question. Why can't we just eat at any time on planes? I would love to have my own boat car plane so I can do whatever I want whenever I want to haha. I'm Oatmeal. Another good question is about the phones on planes & the full body scanners. I was in Vietnam for 5 years. Now am near Seattle. But I wonder what it would have been like had I became a father and brought back kids. I wonder what that would be like with kids, like you.
It was challenging to go through security with a big family, especially when we traveled in the United States. We taught our children how to put their bags on the conveyor belt and follow the rules like everyone else did. They always did a great job!
I was retained at the airport for hours.
Awwww.... kids are so cute and sweet sometimes!
Good job paying attention to what she really means. Sometimes people don't pay attention and understand what their child really needs and feels. I think it is important to do this. ♥
Thanks for the encouragement. We do our best to hear our kids words so that we know what is in their hearts. It is a challenge at times, but one we gladly welcome.
My friend, I donno what to say. but I am sure you will make it one day.
wish you best happiness @sumatranate
Mudah-mudahan keluargaku bisa balik ke Indonesia.
Don't you have plan to stay again in Indonesia? It is really hard to forget something that have so good memories in our life.
I hope that we can return to Indonesia someday, I just don't know when that will be. Thanks for the support.
terima kasih temanku, kenangan mu dan cintamu pada negri kami adalah sebuah penghargaan yang sangat tinggi, saya doakan suatu saat anda sekeluarga diberi kesempatan untuk kembali mengunjungi kami, dan kami akan selalu menunggumu dalam doa dan harapan, semoga petunjuk dan berkah untuk kita semua
Kamai doa juga untuk kesempatan balik ke Indonesia.