Family Time or Career Time

Last 2010, I got a call from a prospective employer in UAE for a project managerial job in one electronics company there. At that time, my two kids (a two year and 6 month old boy and a 1 year and 2 months old girl) are on their growing-up and learning stage. It will be hard for me even for a short of 6 months leaving behind the two most wonderful kids in the world. Though some people will think that I am being too exaggerating, the point is it is only once in our children’s lifetime that we can see them grow-up from infancy stage to adult stage and it will be good that as parents, we are there at their side to see them get through those stages. It will be hard for me as their father to be not on their side (and so is to their mother).  In six months time, though a short span of time, many wonderful experience that you can miss aside from the time that they will need us most (our child needs to be brought to a doctor and to comfort them up). After arriving home from UAE, for the whole week, I am trying to condition myself for the scenario of me not there on their side – going in the mall during weekends, hearing Sunday’s mass, playing with them or in short – spending quality time with my children . Well, I can get my family in six months time but my wife work in an American firm here; I also wanted my wife to have her own career life. With my 2 kids growing up, getting them to leave in UAE will be difficult since the culture there is different. There is a saying that there is no better place than one’s own country even if it’s a third world country (and right now in July 2011, our country, Philippines, is making progress). After a week, I turned down the offer and that is not easy because of the monetary thing that comes to it but I am glad I did because I got an offer from an American company in Taguig in which my salary is right for me and my family. We all want to give there is to offer to our family and that entails of work for other countries with high paying job. I am almost enticed of working in UAE but to see my kids growing up, I chose the option of staying here to be at their side. Some will think that 8 hours you are not in their side because of your work, that’s right but after arriving home and during weekends, I get to spend the whole time with them and I see them smile, try, eat, play, sleep and in their most loving state. I am glad that I did it – stay with them. The choice is ours to make. And if there is a choice that we have to make, always remember that there should be a win-win situation.

Right now, I am working in the Philippines with a high paying job and every day, I get to spend quality time with my kids. I know I am guiding them along the way. And in the future, if there will be a plan of leaving the country, it would be us – as a whole family.