My children in Norway!

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🌹 Roses and Thorns: A Mother’s Journey from the Philippines to Norway

How I found joy, hope, and strength in the face of heartache

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A Beautiful Life... with Thorns

They say roses are beautiful, but they come with thorns. That is how I describe my life in Norway—filled with beauty, love, and opportunity, yet not without its share of pain and difficult choices.

Before I got married, I was told I could apply for a permanent visa for my children so they could join me. I trusted those words and began the process full of hope. But my heart shattered when the foreign affairs office denied their application.

I fought. I hired a lawyer. I reached out to media outlets and even a politician. But still, the answer was no. The reason? Their father was still alive. It didn’t matter that I was the one financially and emotionally supporting them.

They were granted tourist visas eventually, but not permanent ones. It was bittersweet. My children could visit, but not stay. And I had to make the hardest choice: stay in Norway for the family I now had, or return to the Philippines and face an uncertain future.

I stayed. And I thank God every day for my mother and sisters, who cared for my children through life’s storms. I did what I could from afar—visiting when possible and supporting them financially. But the ache of separation never went away.

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Choosing to Smile Through the Pain

Despite the heartbreak, life had to go on. I chose to make the best of what I had. And then came a blessing I had long prayed for: in 1998, my children visited me in Norway.

For a short time, my heart was whole. These are the memories we created—simple, beautiful, unforgettable.

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❄️ A Glimpse of Snow – A Childhood Dream Fulfilled

It was April, and to our surprise, it snowed!
My children, who had never seen a snowflake growing up, finally experienced it—cold on their skin, magical in their eyes. It was a dream come true. Here they are, smiling beside their youngest sister.

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🛶 Sunshine, Paint, and a Little Boat

They helped clean our garden and painted our little boat with my husband. We laughed and enjoyed the rare Norwegian sunshine. It wasn’t a grand adventure, but for us, it was everything.

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🩺 Proud Mama Moment at Work

I took them to the nursing home where I worked. Thanks to my kind coworkers, we were able to take photos. I was so proud to show them my second home—where I found purpose and dignity.

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🎣 First Catch: Fishing and Blue Mussels

They fished for the first time—and we caught a lot!
We also picked blue mussels during low tide, something they had never done back home. We filled our bucket—and our tummies. A simple joy that meant so much.

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🐄 A Day at the Farm: Learning, Laughing, Living

At my husband’s uncle’s farm, they milked a cow for the first time and even tried riding one (not me—I stayed on the ground!). And then, an unforgettable moment: we witnessed a cow give birth. It was awe-inspiring. We smelled like cows and pigs afterward—but our hearts were full.

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📚 A Walk Through 1998 Norway

We explored the town—visited the post office, the local library, and the shops. Ordinary places that became extraordinary in their eyes.

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🏰 Stepping into History: Austrått Fort

We visited Austrått Fort and saw the Fosen War-Historical Collections—artifacts from the occupation, stories of resistance and resilience. It reminded us how strong people can be, even in the hardest times.

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🇵🇭 Proud to be Filipino: Independence Day Celebration

We joined the Filipino community to celebrate Independence Day—wearing our national dresses, cooking Filipino dishes, and playing games. It was heartwarming to see Filipinos and Norwegians sharing laughter and food together. Unity in diversity.

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👑 Royal Sights and Family Blessings

We visited the king and queen’s residence in Trondheim—something we never imagined. We were also honored to attend my cousin’s son's baptism. My second daughter had to return early to enroll in college, but we carried her in our hearts.

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💔 And Then… Another Goodbye

Soon, it was time for them to leave. This time, they were the ones walking away at the airport, and I was the one waving goodbye.

Tears flowed again. The pain of separation cut deep, and the scars remained—but we held on. We survived. And we carried those memories like treasures in our hearts.

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✨ A Life of Love, No Matter the Distance

My story is not perfect. It is marked with pain, distance, and hard choices. But it is also a story of love—love that stretches across oceans, that endures years apart, that survives everything.

To those who have made sacrifices for their families—to those whose children are far away, whose dreams are complicated—know this: you are not alone. Your strength matters. Your love makes a difference.

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💖 Until Next Time…

This is not the end—just the end of this blog for now. I have more stories to share, and I hope you’ll come back again.

Thank you for reading.
With love,
Joy