Arrival: The warmth of homecoming

     “Ladies and gentlemen, the airline welcomes you to Manila.”

     A kind of announcement that sprouts the sleeping sensation of coming home after a span of long years.

     It is probably the same triumphant moment for all the OFWs. Arrivals of planes, the airlines familiar announcements all over the place, the packed luggage full of ‘pasalubongs’ for their loved ones, the half-walk half-run on the airport lounge, the waves of excitement and over happiness upon seeing a placard holding by the people they treasured a lot—saying ‘Welcome Home, Mama/Papa! A picturesque representation of what homecoming feels like in the eyes of a 53-year-old OFW named Zenaida Palmer.

     I came to have a chance to conduct a meaningful interview with Mrs. Zenaida Palmer, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) who resides and is working in Rockford, Illinois, USA. She has three children living in her home country, the Philippines, where each of them already has their own path they’re walking through.

     According to her, her eldest and youngest daughters now have their own families and are living the best of their lives, fulfilling their dreams. On the other hand, her one and only son is working abroad to chase his own path. All of them are chasing their dreams and facing their destinies with bravery in their own unique ways. 

When asked about her experiences being away with her loved ones, she opened up about how hard it was, especially when the pandemic walloped the world.

     “My most struggle is how restricted it is to go to other places. It is very complicated to make a trip so that I can visit my family in the Philippines because restrictions vary from one country to another as well as the requirements needed to be able to comply with it are surprisingly not that easy to attain,” she explained.

     According to her, the COVID-19 pandemic had a big impact on her life as a migrant. Not only her life was affected by the changes that it brought, but also the lives of her family, especially since she has not been able to visit for almost 6 years as the COVID infection throughout the world is certainly high. 

    Hearing Mrs. Palmer talk about how she wanted everything to go back to normal, just like the life she had in pre-pandemic times, is a big realization that pandemics hit harder for people living far from their families and loved ones. Virtual calls and messages through the web are the only way for them to catch up on what is happening on the other side of the world. 

     The unending dilemmas of migrants and workers abroad are worsened by the effects of the pandemic. They are away from the people where they get their strength and courage, but they continue to go on with life because they believe that it has so much to offer. 

     In those trying times, Zenaida finds contentment in the comfort of her newly found home in Illinois, together with her husband, Jerry Palmer, a retired Aviation Hydraulic Mechanics and Helicopter Rescue who works with the US Navy during his youth. Inside their cozy home, she found relaxation and happiness over small things. Zenaida revealed that one of the things that relieves her stress is gardening. She happily talks about her huge indoor garden located on their house in Illinois, which has a hundred indoor plants.

     “Gardening makes me feel less stressed after a busy day at work. Taking care of plants makes me feel better,” she added.

     Even after the pandemic subsided, going home to her home country was still like a path of thorns for her. According to her, in order to afford more paid time off before she can visit her home in the Philippines, she needs to work several times, with an estimated 16 hours per shift. But for her, a sacrifice like that will be overshadowed by joy once she can finally visit home.

     It didn’t go wrong. Once she stepped her feet on the familiar land of the Philippines, her home country, the familiar sense of being home finally rushed over her. She said that she was finally relieved after those challenges that she encountered, and she wouldn’t have it any other way without God’s grace.

     Her family, especially her grown children, also expressed their happiness upon finding out that their mother was finally able to get back home after the long seven years.

     “Sobrang excited naming noong nalaman namin na makakauwi na siya dahil noong 2022 nga na-delay siya ng uwi. Saya ng puso namin kasi after seven years, nakauwi na siya ulit,” her younger daughter, Mariza Trinidad, said in an interview.

     [We’re overexcited when we learn that she can finally get back home because, in 2022, her supposed return home was delayed. Our hearts are happy that after seven years, she can finally get back home.]

     Her only son, Marco Trinidad, who was an OFW himself, expressed his happiness too about finally getting back home with her mother.

     “Unexplainable feeling. Hindi ko nakapiling ang nanay ko sa loob ng [halos] walong taon at masakit para sa isang anak na kada mayroong okasyon ay hindi ko siya kasama o kahit mahawakan man lang. After those long years, finally, nakauwi na siya, nayakap na rin at nahawakan.” he said.

     He added that he is very thankful to God for always taking care of her mother and for finally letting them spend time with her with incomparable happiness.

     [Unexplainable feeling. I've been unable to be with my mother for almost eight years, and it is hard for a child to spend every occasion without even seeing her. After those long years, finally, she was able to come home. I can finally hug and touch her.]

     It is a saddening fact that when an OFW leaves their home to choose to work in a faraway place just to give their family a more comfortable life, they also leave their children behind, and after years of not being with them, the longing starts and continues to bloom around their hearts. A kind of longing that can be eased only by the chance of seeing each other again after a very long time.

     “Ladies and gentlemen, the airline welcomes you to Manila.”

     A kind of announcement that sprouts the sleeping sensation of coming home after a span of long years.

    A kind of announcement that will always embrace these modern heroes with the warmth of homecoming.