Once Upon A Time..

Once upon a time, in the land of never-never

Where all things real are unreal

There lived a girl who believed

That all things could be possible

(THEME) ONCE UPON A TIME
Donna Summer

http://www.geocities.com/h_arevalo/onceupon16.html

Once upon a time, in a world so far away, a very special girl was born. This little girl was so loved and so wanted that her mommy and daddy did everything possible to bring her into this world. It took them eight years, but she was finally there in her mommy’s tummy waiting to grow into the special princess that her parents hoped she would be.

One day, six months later, something happened and the little girl had to be born almost fifteen weeks before she was supposed to. She came into this world a merely 12 ounces in weight and 8 inches in height and was termed as being: “no bigger than a stick of butter”. After she was born, her mommy was asked to name her so she named her Alexandra. It just seemed so appropriate to use the name Alexandra, which means “fighter”. Mommy wanted to give this baby her own identity and equip her with a strong name, so she did.

The next eight months were scary for everyone. All real things surrounding the family seemed unreal. The only thing that kept them going was prayer and faith. God took this family by the hand and blessed them with strength, patience and such intense love for this little girl that allowed them to go on and never give up. They knew perfectly well that God was taking care of everything. He had a plan and they just had to wait it out until the end. In God’s world, all things are possible. There was nothing else to do but surrender Alex into his loving care.

It was a joyous occasion when Alex was finally able to go home with her parents. For months, mommy and daddy would come visit but then had to leave without her. There was a slightly strong breeze in the air when she left that day and the sun was shining. Alex didn’t know what to make out of this new experience and wanted to shake the breeze away as she gulped air. It was a truly happy moment.

At last, the family was reunited at home. Alex made them complete, and they lived happily ever after.

It was on this day, ten years ago, that you were born Alex. We are so blessed that God brought you to this point. He was the one who helped you and us continue to believe that all things could be possible in an unreal world…

Happy Birthday, princess..
Love,
Mommy

©Copyright 2008.Najwa S. Hirn. All rights reserved.

WildTeach..

Every once in a while, a very special teacher walks into a child’s life leaving a huge impact that no other can compare to. Not all teachers are created equal, especially when it comes to teachers of special-needs kids. A special mom can spend an eternity searching for the right person for her child with no avail. It is truly a sad situation to think about, since the young growing years are the most crucial times in a child’s life. It is those important first years that create the learners, shape the behaviors and mold the futures for each and every child. It is during those years when a competent teacher is needed to pour the solid foundation and equip the special child with all the necessary tools to use for future survival.

We are thus blessed that my daughter, Alexandra, has finally experienced that special teacher in her life. We got the opportunity to meet “WildTeach” last year. I am not sure if it was pure luck or destiny that led her into Alex’s life but whatever it may have been, I am glad that it happened. Within one year, this teacher has succeeded in uncovering many of Alex’s potentials thus allowing her to reach goals that she wouldn’t have otherwise accomplished. She continually challenges Alex’s capabilities and prompts her to do more, praising her along the way for tasks well done. She creates a fun learning environment that my daughter looks forward to.

I cannot say enough about the joy that this teacher has brought into our lives. The care and support she shows her “kids” is immeasurable. The advocacy is beyond words. Not too many people nowadays advocate for special kids, but this one does.

We may be living in a temporary dream and one day we’ll wake up to the harsh reality of our everyday lives when “WildTeach” is gone. In the meantime, though, the dream is wonderful and I cherish every moment that Alex can utilize for learning and play. And if you are wondering and asking why we call her “WildTeach”: I’ll just have to look at you with a smile and say: “Keep asking….”

©Copyright 2008.Najwa S. Hirn. All rights reserved.

**P . **U . **S . **H**…

It’s very interested how addicted I’ve become to the forwarded emails that find their way into my inbox. I am not a true fan of junk mail, but I do take the time to scan each and every forwarded email, and nine out of ten I find such an uplifting message that helps me throughout my day.

Thus, I was very intrigued when I received an email with the subject heading of
**P . **U . **S . **H**. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what message this would be portraying until I opened up and found the following:

P-----pray
U----until
S----something
H----happens

The message went on to state:
“ When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need”.

Reading those words left a huge impact. They brought me back to the early days when my daughter, Alexandra, was born prematurely almost ten years ago. During those first few critical months I had nothing to hang on to but God and my faith. I found solace in prayer and the hospital chapel became my haven.

I came to know, only too well, what the power of prayer can do. I saw its strength manifesting daily in the NICU through my daughter’s and other premature baby’s lives. Even during the most critical moments in my daughter’s life, I continued to pray. I knew that, eventually, something would happen. However, in order to reach that rainbow at the end of our fearful tunnel, I had to learn how to be patient and realize that God always knows what the best time is to grant us what we need

It is without doubt that God gave me and my daughter the strength to survive those very difficult months. Therefore, I feel so blessed for He knew exactly what I needed then, and He knows what I need now. All I need to do is **P . **U . **S . **H**.

©Copyright 2008.Najwa S. Hirn. All rights reserved.

Granny..

One of the most prominent gifts that my daughter, Alexandra, has given me is the chance to meet and befriend people whom I wouldn’t have otherwise come across. There is always a reason for everything and one of the reasons for Alex being here is to fill my life with her joy as well as the joy of a circle of friends I hold so dear to my heart.

One of the dearest friends I have met because of Alex, is someone I call “Granny”. This particular “Granny” is not my grandmother but just a dear friend. She came into our lives one day, nine years ago and succeeded in holding a special place in our hearts.
The bonds and memories we have created these past years truly amaze me. I don’t see how we can share similar interests and laugh at similar incidences when my “granny” friend is more than forty years older than me.

Aside from the fact that we shared similar knowledge about premature infants, “Granny” has truly showen us true love, frienship and sacrifice beyond words. She is always there to lend whatever help she can whether it being physical or supportive. I can never forget her immense help and contribution to the fund-raising garage sale I conducted for my daughter a few years ago. In spite of the fact that she was in her eighties and suffered a bad back, she was there every step of the way. She not only carried and priced sale items, but also encouraged her circle of friends to donate to a worthy cause and thus contributed to the success of this garage sale event. When asked "why?", she would reply "I want this child to have the medical care she needs." -this child - being my special-needs daughter, Alexandra.

This act of kindness is hard to find nowadays.

It is true that we meet so many people along our life’s path. I am just blessed that my path led me to “Granny”..

©Copyright 2008.Najwa S. Hirn. All rights reserved.