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.

A Special Dedication..

For the family I have, I am happy and blessed

And nothing more truthful have I ever confessed
Family has many meanings, but one rises above

The greatest meaning of family, is that of love

Glaedr the poet
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/to-me-what-family-is/

It is unbelievable that I have reached my one hundredth posting on this blog. It seems like only yesterday when my sister told me that I should start a blog and my reply was “What the h… is a blog?” I had no clue! I never realized I would enjoy writing to this extent. I guess I should have believed my dad when he predicted writing for my future (see posting 11-12-2007)

I honestly can’t say how this love affair with blogging started. I do know that the first tries were pure disasters as I practiced aimlessly with different platforms. The tries weren’t consistent; therefore the final product lacked so many things. It took about two months until I settled on something that I could produce proudly. My eyes shone at my first published words. It was like Christmas all over again!

I have been thinking for a few days about what I should write for my 100th posting. It had to be a very special article since it symbolizes a milestone in my journey towards future perfection. It dawned on me that this post would have to represent a special dedication to God and my family. Without the combination of the two, nothing in my life would have been possible today.

Above all, God is the ultimate healer. Throughout these years, he has definitely kept us in the palms of his hands and embraced us with such love that filled us with the strength we needed to go on.

I am blessed to be surrounded by my husband and child. As I recall the years gone by, I cannot help but hear friends asking my husband and I:”How are you able to keep going while taking care of a special child?” The answer comes naturally to us: “Alex is our normal. We haven’t known anything different. We are blessed with strong bonds that strengthen as the years go by.” It is those bonds that allow us to keep doing what we are doing.

Then comes our extended family. It is no doubt that their love and support all these years has succeeded in reducing the worries, concerns and sleepless nights that we have had to endure. It has been a true blessing to be able to call upon them at any time and they have never failed us in anyway.

Thus comes this special dedication. To all the people in my life, I am truly grateful for their love and help, and to God, I am truly humbled that He has chosen me to take care of His special little girl.

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

Uncertainties..

There's never really been a time in my life that I haven't been led into the right path or given a sign that all will be well. Throughout all the difficulties and challenges that I faced during my daughter's seven months stay at the NICU after her birth, I still remained strong in my faith. Strong enough to the point of being able to identify all of God's signs for me and my daughter as we embarked on the most difficult of our journeys that was about to start.

However, as a human being and as a mom of a special child, I cannot help but be faced by uncertainties at various times. Usually, this occurs when I am about to make a decision regarding Alexandra's health care. I have always been a planner. I've always prepared lists and laid out the perfect path for everything that should take place in my life. I liked to know that I had made the right decisions in those aspects.

I experienced those uncertainties this past week as I tried to decide on a course of action regarding my daughter's health. It is a blessing that, during such times, I know that I can turn to my sister for help and support. I am very blessed by her presence and her way of putting things back into perspective for me. I needed reassurance and she was just the one to give it. She emailed me just the right article that I needed to help ease up my mind and allow me to feel better about the decisions I were about to make. I quote from this article this paragraph that I held dear:

"Knowing God's will can never remove the uncertainty--nor should it. The uncertainty is good for us because it keeps us trusting and praying, it keeps us from being overly self-confident.
When your heart is right and you are faced with two good choices, take either one you like. And trust God with the result. If the heart is willing, the decisions of life will take care of themselves because God will direct your steps exactly where he wants you to be."

As I read and reread the article I was filled with such calmness and serenity. A clamness that assured me that, in spite of all the uncertainties, God will lead me to make the right decision.
After all, it is ultimately God who will put together the pieces of my life just like they are meant to go...

For additional information about the above article, please visit: When You Have Two Good Choices.

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

God's Plan..

I’ve often wondered about what God’s plan might be for me. It is almost ten years since my daughter, Alexandra was delivered prematurely by emergency c-section due to my developing sudden preeclampsia. Never would I ever imagined or thought of preeclampsia when I became pregnant. After all, I was fairly healthy, never smoked or drank. I was working and progressing in my professional career, happily married and desperately wanting a baby. All of the above should have molded the perfect equation for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby.

I’ve learned throughout these years that God has a different plan laid out for me. I may have lost a professional career but I have gained a stronger spiritual and emotional career that I will not trade. I have had the opportunity to meet and befriend special people that I would never have met if it weren’t for Alex. I have made bonds and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Above all, I have been entrusted with a beautiful and loving little girl that is a part of my heart. A daughter that is more than a special gift. A child that is here today because of God’s plan. Special needs or not, In God’s eyes and mine she is a perfect child.

Whatever His plan may be, I am certain that it will be a great one and I am lucky to be here waiting to receive its abundance!!

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