I have four younger siblings... Kyle, Maralee, Karlee and Tyler. The age gap from me to Tyler, the youngest, is 14 years. Because of my often wandering ways, I've missed a good portion of the growing up of Maralee, Karlee and Tyler. I left the house almost 12 years ago, when Tyler was 3, Karlee was 6 and Maralee was 9. I went to Cambodia for 5 months, over to the Philippines for two years, then down to Texas for 5 years where I picked up a couple of degrees, and finally back to the Philippines were I am now.
I've missed many birthday parties, many sporting events, many choir concerts and plays, many memories, many life altering moments. And every time, I grieve a little.
Karlee is turning 18 in a few days. She's been the president of her choir for two years, and she having her final choir concert in the first week of June. She'll put on a weird hat and graduate from high school in the second week of June. And I won't to be there for any of it.
Karlee is one of the most amazing people I've ever met. She smart, witty, coordinated and athletic, so much fun to be around, and has amazing amounts of wisdom, truly beyond her years. She one of the hardest workers I know. She bought a car and has been working multiple jobs for the past two years in order to pay it off before college. She's been faced with challenges most people her age don't ever have to deal with, but she's strong and capable and become more so with each challenge.
Last year, before I applied to MRH, I was talking to Karlee about what I should do next. I thought maybe I should get a job close to home so that I could be more actively part of my family's life. Her words to me were something along the lines of "We love you and of course we would love to have you close by again, but you should be where you can influence the most people, and right now, that's in the Philippines."
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