By Soller Shirley
I am fortunate enough to meet many people who tell me of their life experiences and stories. One, this week, has stayed in my mind, and I share it.
My new friend told of an exciting family life, full of travel and adventures in half the world. The family unit was great, and they have a bursting memory box. However, what one child wanted was a home. One location, small house, family life and a white picket fence.
This is what she has chosen for her family, and after 15 years is still adamant that this is the life she wants. One place, one school, neighbours she knows, and small town life.
Her parents are left wondering what they did wrong…
The other side to this is that the daughter has had many adventures courtesy of family life and she is now happy to stay put. It may be that her children choose a different path from their ‘one home’ base.
My family life before Mallorca involved a few local house moves but it was all in my North London ‘Village’. Since Mallorca, the same, a couple of local house moves but in Soller or the Port.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ in parenting decisions involving where children should live.
The story in the expat world can be more complicated. Children who have lived their childhood in another country develop their affiliations. Parental decisions to move on can be very difficult for the children. I often meet those who have returned as a young adult after having early years in Mallorca. They identify as being from here and are focused on ‘coming home’.
Home? Where the heart is, where memories are, where the tribe is, where the parents are, where security lies…
A big subject…
