Expat partner Edith Hummel shared some of her experiences of ‘letting go’ now that her two kids have started the next phase of their lives in another continent.
A family affair
Like many expat parents, Edith, an Austrian mother of two, who just released her debut novel, loved raising her kids overseas, first in India, and later in Chile. “It was a great pleasure being with two small kids (aged 10 and 12 when we first moved abroad) and going on to experience so much together. All the hours we spent travelling, playing board games; all the birthdays and moments we shared. We even felt like we had a language to ourselves (as German is not so well known all over the globe),” says Edith. “It was definitely a very bonding experience.”
Home alone
“Now I have this empty nest feeling here in Santiago. My 21-year-old daughter studies in Groningen; my 19-year-old son is in Austria for his mandatory civil service. Later he plans to study in Spain. It is hard for me. Even when I keep busy with my writing, and often invite friends over for some coffee and a chat, I feel like a home is a home only when there is a family inside. Now my husband and I are cooking and watching Blown Away or some other silly Netflix show.”
Facebook saviours
“It’s not just tough for parents. Our daughter experienced severe loneliness after starting her student life. I was desperate to help. But how? She was 12,200km away. I turned to ‘Weltfrauen’ Facebook group for German speaking women all over the globe and posted an emergency call to find another mum in Groningen to bring her a cake, give her a hug or do something that could lighten her mood. The reaction was wonderful. So many mums had experienced the exact same challenge. One mum had a daughter in the same small town so we connected the girls. Another mum offered to send her good looking son to deliver a hug!” says Edith. “Now I also worry about my son living far from us in a city he doesn’t know much about. Especially as he had a very privileged life with housekeepers, drivers and eating out at restaurants all the time. But most importantly, I hope our life has prepared him to see what is good and what is bad.”
Photo: Edith and her husband
