Recently I shared a post that appeared on my Facebook regarding the issues of Third Culture Kids (TCKs). After reading it, I spent a bit of time thinking about how our missionary career affected our children. But today I'm thinking about a TCK parent/grandparent---me. Now my TCK daughter is leaving again to return to Asia, and I'm staying in the U.S.
Oh, I know we have SKYPE, cell phones, texting and many ways to stay connected that were not available in the 70s and 80s. But the goodbyes never get easier. I've already shed some tears, with plenty more to come.
This time I have spent over two months with my two oldest grandsons. I am so thankful for them and the ways they have let me into their lives. Yesterday the middle grandson said, "I hate it when adults cry."
This time---again---they are all leaving Grandpa Marvin, who is in late stages of Huntington's Disease. The pain of that is palpable.
I will cope, recover, and survive this parting too, but I don't have to like it. I have learned to return to joy from these difficult feelings, and I'm thankful. But I experience the tough stuff even more deeply in the process. I guess TCK parents are human beings too!
