So, I listened to Atlanta radio, and one of the announcer was talking about how one person`s death could change your life either for good or bad.
For me, there were three deaths, well, at least, the third death- I realized, influenced how I look my life and its priorities. They were actually to the ones that lead me into my biggest regret until now.
They were my quite close family`s death; my godfather, my grandma`s younger sister, and my godmother. They were all sick when I was in Jakarta; They were all gone when I was not there.
The first one, my godfather`s, happened when I was still in Jogjakarta. I could not go home to pay my last honor to him. The worst thing, I can`t be there at his critical moment.
The second and third one, happened when I was still in Japan. Also, I can`t be there in person.
My grandma`s sis was deaf and mute. In consequence, I could not say anything to her or hear anything from her. I could not attend her funeral either.
The only good thing was when my godmother passed away, I can only heard her machine`s sound and then the blurry doctor`s voice telling she has passed away. It stays within my memory. I can still recall that hurtful event. All I can do was holding the phone and crying. I am her goddaughter. I should have been there when she was having her roughest time. Worst is, sometimes I felt like I was lucky I was here I do not have to see her suffer, unlike the rest part of the family. I can still be absent and no one can blame me.
In the end, I blame myself.
Actually, I do not know if I can forgive myself.
How can I do this? Chasing my dreams while one of my important family member suffered?
And what was the price?
Is it even worthy?
My sister consoled me that my godmother was proud of me and not even once got disappointed of me being absent. And I have to finish this so my godmother`s dream could also be fulfilled, achieving highest education level, a chance she hadn`t be able to have.
Then, it occurred to me that this might happen again. After all, we will never know whose life will end when.
I pray that I do not have to experience this again. At least, not during my stay in Japan.
Most of my entire life, I have dreamed getting a higher degree even work outside the country. The further the better. It will be a perfect proof that I have been a pretty much perfect grown-up. I can do things by myself.
Suddenly, it did not matter anything to me anymore. Well, it still does matter. But, not as urgent as I used to think.
In the end, it`s the family you want to go home to.
It`s the family that will be your strength and motivation.
No matter what happened, they are the ones you can count or lean on.
Others do not THAT matter anymore compared to a bunch of loved ones God given to you.
I decided to end my dream chasing journey outside the country.
I still have my dream as a researcher. I did not give it up entirely.
I want to focus doing my research in my country.
So I can look out for my loved ones.
People might see me to be lack of ambition or even motivation.
It is fine with me. People judge. No matter what you do.
I realized there will be a time I have to settle down, maybe not because of me getting married (which I really can not even think about it now), rather, because it is my responsibility to support them also.
When that time comes, I want to make sure I will not have any second biggest regret in the rest of my life.
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