Everything has to fit in 6 luggages + 2, mine included. From clothes and shoes to cables and books, to name a few. There are things that we need to let go of. Things, in spite of their sentimental value, have to be thrown at the bin, be sold on Carousell or donated. 

Packing our things en route from Singapore to Canada is no easy step. It takes time, wisdom and much filtering, that even if something has been stored at the top of our shelves for over two years, we just have to shut our eyes and let go.  What prodded me to write this are the thoughts of booklets and workbooks that we have to leave as they won’t just fit in all these 8 suitcases on the plane. There are other things that we need to let go of other than these books.

When Cherin Hale was 8 years old in 2019, she took an entrance exam at a distance-learning school based in the US. I was afraid she wouldn’t fit right to the expected level, which was Grade 3, only to find out later when the result was released that she was one year ahead of her level. The administrator asked us whether we were willing for our child to be accelerated to Grade 4. I consulted my husband and my friend about the possibility of Hale’s acceleration, its pros and cons. After careful consideration, we decided for her to skip to 4th Grade in the American Curriculum.

We were so proud of our daughter! Took a photo of her together with those workbooks we ordered from her school and even posted it on Facebook! Who wouldn’t be proud of a child who got accelerated!?

Fast forward to 2021, the reality now lies before us. Our Visas are all approved and we have to start anew in the Land of Maple Leaf… And it’s time to leave the things we ought to leave for we cannot bring every part of us in the luggage. It breaks my heart (seriously) that inasmuch as those booklets meant a lot to us, for it’s the evidence of the hard work of my daughter and the proof that homeschooling is never easy, we just have to say goodbye to all of them.

I have her Report Card handy. Her grades were already verified with her school. If we were only moving within Singapore, of course we’d bring those booklets with us. However the cost of freight is too costly to shoulder just to bring everything with us.

Oh, I’ll miss those handwriting when Hale complained to me about homeschooling. I’ll miss those drawings that showed how much she valued our family… I’ll miss those pages and every bit of it that showed her advanced comprehension skills for her age. Sentimental.

My daughter is turning 11 next year. Time is running swiftly before us. My daughter cried a few times before because she didn’t want to grow up too fast. I miss those days when she was smaller… But we have to let go of the things for practicality sake. We need to  move on. What’s important is that we’re all leaving as a family and living together in a new country.