Dr Brendan J Gomez, Consulting Psychologist & US Fulbrighter
I absolutely love what I do, designing programmes to help create positive change in an organisation. But besides that, I am absolutely passionate about being a parent to my daughter Sam.
Calling her a miracle isn’t an exaggeration. My wife and I waited a long time to have a child, but after we prayed in a church in Pulau Pinang, we were finally blessed with Sam. Now, every day, I get to experience something truly amazing, watching this vibrant and curious kid grow up.
Sam and I have this special thing that we do. We both love visiting bookstores. You see, Sam is crazy about books, especially ones with animals. And guess what? I love books too, and I’ve always had a soft spot for animals. I guess you could say it’s a passion that I’ve passed on to Sam. So, whenever I have some free time, I’m on the lookout for fascinating books that will bring a big smile to her face. It’s like our little adventure together. Books have this incredible power, you know? They’ve influenced my life in a big way. I’ve read books about psychology, science, and spirituality, and they’ve shaped the way I see the world.
But you know what’s even cooler? Sam is picking up on complex words through observation. She has this aptitude where she’s taken sneaky peeks of my work as well as online reading and somehow, she writes the correct spelling of the word on her blackboard. She even looks up what they mean to understand them better.
Just like our excursion to bookstores, I love taking Sam to interesting places where there are animals and nature. Sam’s love for animals doesn’t stop within the pages of a book; it extends to those in real life too. One day as we were walking in a park, we had a chance encounter with a puppy. It was evident that the mother was too weak to take care of the puppy and showed no interest in it at all. The puppy followed us all the way to the car, Sam picked it up and we welcomed another member of our family, Echo, into
our lives.
While parenting is a privilege, it is also a challenge, but a rewarding one. Seeing her rapid growth, from taking her first steps to how she’s now running, I realised the challenge is to keep up with what she is absorbing from her surroundings. It would be such a loss to miss out on that and so, I try to spend as much time as I can with her. In fact, I have redesigned my career so that I have the time to properly commit to both of my passions – building up organisations as well as nurturing Sam. It is a delicate balance for sure, but I love both of what I do.
Now that I’m starting this amazing adventure as a parent, I remember that kids are not just the next generation as they say. They’re also like the good things we want to happen in the world. When we spend time with them, care for them, and teach them good things, we’re planting the seeds for a better future. These little lives will do important things that everyone will remember. If we are going to heal and mend what’s broken in the world, it starts with our children at home.
“I love seeing her eyes light up when she discovers something new in her world. Her bright smile and curiosity make me so happy that I can’t help but beam from ear to ear.”
