Hello, my little potato,
I just dropped off Grandpa Robert and Grandma Michelle.
They’re heading back to France.
I must admit, I’m feeling melancholic.
We had a really good time together.
And once again, we’re on our own.
Even more so for me.
I’m not going to complain.
It’s my choice.
I decided to move abroad.
That was part of the package I signed up for.
But you’ll see, in life, it’s never easy to say goodbye.
Especially when you know you’re not free to see the people you love whenever you want.
The thing is, I’ve spent the last ten years striving for a life of freedom.
Telling myself that no matter what happens, I’m less than a day away.
And today, I’m stuck.
It’s not because of you.
A child doesn’t prevent travel.
But your illness severely restricts what we can do.
And it could have been avoided if everyone had done their job properly…
Despite everything, I think it’s temporary.
I see your progress. I see that it’s improving.
I even think we could fly tomorrow.
Technically, it would be possible.
The real question is, what for?
Go to France too?
From what I’ve learned talking to the French administration and healthcare organizations, returning to France today would be complicated.
We would have to live in a big city to hope for home care.
I’ve already made many calls. Most physiotherapists don’t want to leave their practice.
So being cooped up in an apartment, unable to go out because it’s cold and there are viruses everywhere…. NO.
Even if our current situation is very expensive, at least we have a balcony, sunshine, and everything we need to care for you here without taking too many risks.
The teams we’ve found are competent, even excellent.
And it’s only a matter of months before we can go back home.
I don’t want to take the risk of going to France just to be “close” to my family.
And you also have your Brazilian family here, even if it’s also difficult to see them.
Perhaps in the long run we will, yes.
But not in the short term. It’s not worth it.
And yes, it’s hard to be far from loved ones.
To live in a place where most people see life through a different lens than yours.
But I think right now, it’s what’s best for you.
One day, if all goes well, you too might have the opportunity to travel, to choose your own life.
Ultimately, our role, your mom’s and mine, is to give you the tools to succeed in yours.
Not for you to spend your life with us.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
The goal is that one day you find your role, your life’s mission, and fulfill it as best you can.
That you bring value to the world.
Your success, in the broadest sense, will come from that.
On this journey, perhaps you won’t always be with us.
And we’ll never hold it against you for that.
That’s not the goal.
You won’t owe us anything.
And I hope you’ll be able to travel the world to broaden your mind, see life and the world through different lenses, and then choose how you want to view them, without constraint or external influence.
But all of that doesn’t change the fact that it’s hard.
Saying goodbye.
Being far from loved ones.
Despite everything, we’ve been incredibly lucky.
These last two weeks have been precious.
Many positive things have happened.
You no longer have your tube.
We had a lovely Christmas.
We went to the beach.
They saw you play, take your bath, laugh, live.
This time, there was no drama.
And that’s all we wanted.
I’m happy they were able to experience all of that with us.
I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for everything they’ve done for us.
Thank you for their presence, their love, their help.
I love them deeply.
And you too, son.
Dad.
