Guuye ~ Гүүеэ

‘Mummy, please don’t play that song. It reminds me of my grandma and grandpa in Mongolia.’ said my daughter a few years ago. ‘I miss them.’ she continued. Who would’ve thought she felt the same way as me. I never thought of her missing my parents. I realised I avoided those songs, too.

Leaving your parents and loved ones, going to the other side of the world is not easy. I guess everyone has a different reason to go and travel, and settle elsewhere. It was very hard to be in touch with my parents then. No mobile phones or internet connection where they lived. It was only about 11 years ago.

Now, my parents are a phone call away. We send messages, emails and chat online sharing photos. It’s great. We all can listen to the songs we avoided. Even our baby recognises the songs now. She looks at my phone knowing the sound is coming from there.

Every morning, I switch my phone on and see if my sister is online. We check in and see how everyone is briefly and carry on with our lives. Our mother always encouraged us to be close to each other and be there for one another. Now I do the same with my children.

My mother is a strong woman who raised her younger siblings when my grandmother died in her early 40’s.  We are very proud that she was awarded Хөдөлмөрийн Гавьяаны Улаан Тугийн Одон (equal to CBE) for her contribution to Mongolian education service. Congratulations Mum, you deserve it!

Yes, I miss my parents, but I am happy where I am. Living away from where I grew up makes me look at life from different angles that I never thought they existed.

How about you? What do you or did you miss after you left home?