I’ll know in just a few weeks. This is big, really big. My 26-year-old son, Sammy, is joining the
Foreign Service and in October will get his first tour-of-duty assignment. He’s shown me the “bid list” of 73 cities
where there are openings in the embassy or consulate: he had to rank them in
order of preference and just turned that in yesterday. No guarantees he’ll be
placed in one of his top or even medium preferences. First-tours are, thank
God, not sent to war zones but there are definitely some places less than
desirable on the list according to this anxious mom. (And some cities I’ve
never even heard of, but that’s another story.)
This is an ultimate case of giving your children roots and
wings. You have to live with where their
wings take them and hope that the roots are strong enough that they will thrive
and yes, miss you and stay in touch.
I am so very proud that my son wants to serve his country
and that he has a spirit of adventure, and that he has successfully been
accepted into a very competitive job. I am thrilled that his dreams are coming
true. I am also sad, anxious and fearful. I will miss him terribly; he went to
college in Maryland and has been
living close to home, in Washington DC ,
since he graduated from college, a boon for me.
Even if we didn’t see each other every week or anything like that, I knew
he was nearby and safe and of course we talked almost every week on the
phone. Now I’ve gotten a web cam and set
it up so I can Skype with him wherever he is, but that’s not the same as an
in-person conversation and hug. I fear
for his safety in a world full of conflicts and negative sentiment of varying
intensities in some quarters towards Americans.
I worry that he might be homesick and isolated, though in reality he is
a very social creature and makes and keeps friends easily.
I want for him all good things—safety, interesting work, new
friends from both the expatriate and local communities, a sense of self-worth,
recognition for his achievements, a comfortable home sanctuary, a chance to see
the world and realize the universality of human experience across borders, and
much, much more.
I wish for myself good Skyping, maybe a good place to visit
him (and that my frequent flyer miles will be enough), and most of all the
ability to sleep at night.
More to come…