Born and raised by two parents, I could never imagine life without either one of them. Every time a friend of mine tried to tell me how life sucks after the death of his father, I failed to put myself into his shoes. Thus, I chose to join the programme ‘Swapping Roles’ to experience and explore a different type of life. It turned out to be really meaningful.
I stayed with a single mother with two kids, one about my age and one in primary school. Life in Sham Shui Po was completely different from Wan Chai, which is where I live. It is a crowded, old district. Worn-out buildings are just around the corner. The family live in a small flat on the seventh floor of an old Chinese building without an elevator. My first impression was, life is really different…
The single mother Sally is a worker of a restaurant, mainly working as a waitress, or sometimes doing cleaning after opening hours to earn a little extra money. Finance is a very vital problem in a single-parent family. Obviously the three cannot live on the 6000 dollars’ wage a month, and thus the elder brother, Sam, works after school to help. I therefore usually went back to the flat only seeing Andrew, the Primary Three boy, watching TV. I am really concerned about them. What happens when I am not with them? Andrew could meet bad friends in that district. So could Sam. Coming home at 11 p.m. every day, how could Sam prepare for his public exam? I am really grateful that I can get home by five daily and I have decided not to waste time surfing the Net.
On the other hand, I learnt to treasure what I have. I am a lucky one. I was born in a middle-class family with a maid, who has been hired for more than ten years. Every single piece of housework is done by her. At Sam’s place, however, they take turns to do the chores and everyone has to cook and clean. Sally wouldn’t let me help at first as she treated me as a guest. However, I insisted on contributing to this family during my stay. I cleaned every window, every single inch of the floor and the dishes. It was definitely a lot of work to do, and I sweated a lot. Being part of a single-parent family requires more than hard work, but cooperation and the willingness to contribute out of love. I saw the lack of such interaction back at my home. For some reason, I felt happier in Sam’s place than mine. They loved each other and were willing to share. Perhaps this is why people say that things are only cherished when they’re gone. I hope the bond between my family and me can be stronger and the love within can be more like Sam’s family. I yearn to work for my family or do something to pay back my parents’ love to me.
After the programme ‘Swapping Roles’, I’d say I have learnt a lot. It’s a very good life experience to realize how much we are loved and how lucky we are. I hope in the near future I can establish a better relation with my parents and share my love with them, and treasure them before it is too late. Has the programme fulfilled its goals? Surely yes!