It has been five years since Sami went to France to handle his studies in engineering. He is courageous, ambitious, smart, and highly sensitive. Sami returns to Lebanon 3 times each year, in April, August, and December.
Nada, his mother, is 55 years old and doesn’t work. When Sami announced to her which he could be going to Paris to review, she was proud but also anxious. Scared and worried, she started sleeping less during the night, contemplating how her son would survive life in France. In the cold to ladies to food, everything worried her.
Before Sami left, he showed his mother how to use Skype and promised to call occasionally to update her on his life, but he wasn’t sure this be enough.
Nada spent plenty of her days looking forward to that Skype notification to find out and speak to her son. Each time Sami returned home, he pointed out that her face increasingly showed signs of anxiety, which worried him a lot. He became anxious but was convinced that his diploma from France provides him having a better life.
August 2017. Sami has just landed in Lebanon and goes home to see his parents. He looks at
his mother’s face and sees something different: she is smiling and looks relaxed.
What is happening since 2012
Combined with the technological advancements, WhatsApp was unveiled in the world. This is revolutionary in many ways. Contrary to popular belief, it changed Nada’s life. She actually is a fast learner and received a smartphone as a gift from her son. Sami is now able to share many information on his life along with her. Instantaneously, through voice messages, she can hear his voice at any time throughout the day. She could also video-call him even though he is on the street, in the different country. Sami sometimes shares images of his lunch, the elements, articles of clothing he wanted to buy, and also pictures of his new girlfriend. Whenever she likes to anxious, she sends Sami a note, and most of the time, she receives an
instantaneous response.
Technologies have been criticized a lot lately like a reason individuals are becoming distant, but in some instances, especially for people living abroad, it’s got changed their lives.