Work is work. Family is life.
These words, sent to me in a simple yet poignant WhatsApp message, echoed in my head as I faced one of the toughest decisions of my life – staying in a job I loved or moving to a different country to be with my family.
In late 2022, my wife accepted a senior role with a Western-based company. This was an important career move for her, but it required moving to Hong Kong.
After discussing it, we decided that I would stay in Singapore for the time being, to manage loose ends and explore options for keeping my job.
And so, our son, aged nine at the time, bravely made the move with her, leaving behind the comforting familiarity of Singapore for a new city thousands of kilometres away.
Adjusting to a strange environment isn’t easy for anyone, but especially not for a kid joining a new school midway through the school year.
He struggled at the start, and eventually began acting out in anger at my wife. This was very unlike him and we could only put it down to the stresses of being uprooted.
My wife, already shouldering the stresses and burdens of balancing her new job, grew increasingly concerned.
To lighten her load, I made it a habit to check in on them two or three times a day via WhatsApp video calls.
Each morning, I’d be there as they got ready for school and work, a small part of their daily routine.
On weekends, they’d take me along virtually as they explored their new neighbourhood, excitedly sharing every new makan spot with food they thought I’d love, places we could visit together when I was in town.
To fill my absence, they even adopted a panda bear plush toy, placing it on the sofa while they watched TV, pretending it was me. At night, my son would take the panda to bed.
