A Special Stamp on My Passport

I've recently got a special "Guilt-free approval to travel without husband & kids" stamp on my passport, supported and endorsed by my most honorable Minister of Manpower cum Home Affairs. (I thought I better penned this down in black and white and all colours, while the stamp is still valid.)

At the Good Friday service on 22 March, Pastor was sharing to the husbands about releasing the woman to where God wants them to be and not be bogged down by housework and the kids. And that just confirmed what we shared earlier in the afternoon, just before attending the service.

Gavin was sharing with me that he met a former colleague, who had enlightened him about spending time with our own parents. With the passing of his dad 2 years back, he did experience regrets of not spending more time with him. And for the first time, he had actually verbally released me to go and join my parents in their annual travel -- without him and the kids. He agreed to babysit the kids for me.

Frankly speaking, I didn’t dare dream of traveling alone, as I’m worried and guilty of leaving Gavin to cope with the kids by all by himself. Thank goodness, Gavin also realized that I probably won’t be able to enjoy my time with my parents, if I were to travel with my kiddos, as my eyes will suddenly multiply by 8 folds and turn into a 16-eyed disco-lights ball monster.

Finance is the other factor, thus, over the years, it’s either all go or all don’t go. Anyway, it’s not cheap traveling as a family. The last time, I estimated having to spend more than $2K just to the Genting Highlands, and it’s not even that far away. Anyway, I have learnt from my previous trip to Batam that kids are easily contended with the simple activities. And guess what? The kids enjoyed swimming and Pizza Hut most when they were at Batam. And I can do all on the green, green grass of home on the island called Singapore.

When Gavin was in his twenties, he had the opportunities of travelling together with his parents and sis to the US, Europe and Japan. And suddenly both of us only began to realize that I didn’t have that opportunity. Yah, what have I been doing in my twenties? After graduating, it’s like starting on a new career path which paid peanuts as a freshie and after that got to start saving for wedding. Then, got married at 25, the life got a bit mundane with changing of diapers, feeding the kids, housework and now coaching in the kids’ studies.

It’s never too late. I think now is the time to relax. My parents too, slogged in early years of their marriage and now, they are always traveling and doing things together, as if their second “pak-tor”.

Hehe… sometimes, I joked with my colleagues how I wished our company could send us overseas (except to Aceh and on Adam Air flights) to organize an event and I could take extend my stay there and travel a bit … hehe Before my mind started to wonder elsewhere, Gavin reminded me that he only allows me to travel with my parents, so that it will be meaningful and not for my own leisure trips with friends. Hmm, he can read my mind. I sometimes wonder if there is a cloud caption floating above my head.

So sisters, let’s arrange to join mum and dad to somewhere this year shall we? We haven’t done that together since secondary school days. I think the last time was donkey years ago to either Indonesia or Thailand?