Today is the last day that I saw my daughter until either I return to USA from Africa or she comes to visit me overseas.
I left a very special gift for her to find when she returns home from work this early evening. I enjoy giving her surprises. When she was a child, I would leave a different Beanie Baby on her side table for her to discover, put little love notes and goodies in her lunch bag, put out birthday gifts the night before and decorate her room with surprising fun things. Sometimes they are random gifts for random occasions or no occasions. Then there are the Valentine, Easter, and Halloween goodies to bestow on her too.
On her bed lies a gift bag which contains a small box wrapped with a big bow. When she unties the ribbon, she will find a small bracelet with the word "love" in crystals. My wish is that she will wear this daily on her wrist and always remember that her mommy loves her everyday and always regardless of which body of ocean separates us...for distance can never separate love, especially unconditional love between a parent and child.
She still has issues of me leaving. It's not the Peace Corps itself she disapproves, but that I am leaving outside her comfort zone. Emotionally, she feels abandonment.
The gift is not an attempt to buy her off as she is never persuaded by materialism and is way too intelligent to be manipulated. This is a tangible token of my love; a physical symbol that can remind her that I am not abandoning her because my love is always with her.
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