A reminder of what parental commitment can mean.

As part of my job I often spend time in the UAE.  Many different nationals coming here on the promise of work so that they can send some of the hard-earned money back to their families, often the only means of family survival.

Thus I was touched this morning by a lovely welcome from a Filipino woman who works in a Lebanese café which I often frequent. I asked after her young daughter …

Yes, she said, she is now 7 years old, and she will see her daughter again in 8 months time, because she is leaving the job when her visa expires, which will enable her to get her passport back, and then her return airfare will be paid so that she can return home.

“My daughter was 2 and a half when I last saw her.”

There are thousands of people like her in the same situation, and they still carry on with a smile knowing that others depend on them for life!

By Bob Derham