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Friday, September 2, 2016

survival techniques ...


How do you handle it? A question that has become as much a reflex as an inquiry in response to learning I have a child (young adult) living in Japan. Truthfully, it is a matter of 'which child' and experience. If it were kiddo #2, this would be a whole different post. And not because #2 is the 'baby' (even at about 6'3"), but mishap seems to have a way of finding him - its how he rolls. Admittedly he has shown improvement in how he handles it and for that I am both proud and grateful. Kiddo #1 on the other hand has a strong lineage of female stubbornness, independence, and just plain 'don't mess with me' attitude. You.do.not.want.to.piss.her.off. (sound familiar?) This is not to say she doesn't demonstrate a lot of her father's attributes, she is after all his mini-me. They think alike. They react alike. It is TEAM DAD all the way with those two and I wouldn't have it any other way. But back to "how do you do it?" A matter my brother and his wife will be addressing in the next month when their son moves from New York City to Tokyo. Something they will figure out in their own fashion because I suspect the 'how do' is defined on a case-by-case basis.


One thing for sure, I highly recommend Facetime. It is a lifesaver. Several times a week we fill our morning commute with a video conference with our daughter.  So much better than the 70s channel on satellite radio.  We talk about anything and everything, from the mundane "you need a haircut", to politics, to the latest Disney adventures. (yea, she is a Life-Disney-Mouseketeer). The subject of the conversation is relevant, but not as important as getting to see her, to witness that she is doing okay.  That's the biggie. 

How did our parents do it without cell phones, video chat, or the many 'immediate' connection techniques we have today to stay in touch with each other?  Mom got by on the adage 'no news is good news' when she didn't hear from my sister for a month or two.  Dear Lord, if that were my child I would be pulling up at their apartment door within a week or two of not hearing from them.  I guess different generations.

7 comments:

  1. We kind of go with the no news is good news...thinking positive. Our kids are also older, married and with grandkids. I sometimes think we have excessive technolgy. Still, I'm glad you can connect

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  2. I can't imagine life with out facetime - my nephews are just a few inches away and I can hear their voices and see their precious faces! So glad this tech marvel brings the world closer for you!

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  3. Yes thank goodness for technology, it makes the world a smaller place.

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  4. Sometimes it is funny how siblings can be so different. My children are all grown, but there is still one that has to have daily contact, two that like to at least make contact every week or two and one that I am doing good if I hear from him once ever couple of months. Now that I have grandchildren of my own I finally understand how my mom felt when we moved far away. I do like that technology makes it so much easier to keep in touch.

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  5. We live in interesting times and the satellite family where everyone lives close-by is no longer the norm. Keeping in touch using Facetime or Skype seems more and more mainstream. We can't be there in person, but we can see and talk and interact with each other, assuaging worries about what might be going wrong!

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  6. I remember just waiting for letters to cross the ocean when I lived in Japan away from all family members. I can't even imagine going backwards to not having FT. Technology with all it's downsides....has its place for the better in my life.

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  7. It irks me how long my kids can go without checking in. Argh! I don't want to be a helicopter parent, but kids, please! Cooperate!

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