That's My Girl

Some 20 years ago, there was this little big girl who learned to read at a very young age. Of course her parents taught her about letters and numbers when she was one year old, bought her books that she practically made them her sleeping partners. She was a fast learner, and by the age of four, she was already reading the national newspaper! Of course she did not understand everything that was written in the paper (well who does?), but it didn't matter. She was intellectually a 'big' girl of her age, but when the time came for her to go to kindergarten, she became that 'little girl' with tantrums. She didn't like to go to school! Aiyyo! Her parents had a tough time convincing, coercing, persuading, 'bribing' etc. Sometimes it worked, sometime it didn't. She did go to the kindergarten finally and met new friends.

Her first primary school was in England when once again, the little girl tantrum resurfaced. First it was first day blues, then it became too many days blues! Once she locked herself in the bedroom, her parents' bedroom! Tough time again. But to be fair to her, the first school was not really an excellent school. Then we moved her to a better school, you know, 'English' area, so the school was also very 'English', a good school with excellent teachers. The little big girl was a little bit happier with the new school except for the initially challenging time with the 'tudung' issue. She was the only student wearing the tudung at that time! Other Muslim girls did not dare to wear it. So she came back home not smiling and was asking her parents about her predicament. Her father consoled her and told her that, people will respect you not for your appearance, or how you dress, but they will (eventually) respect you on how you behave, how you connect to people, and how you show them that you are capable of being excellent. The words of her father worked! She felt more confident with her tudung, enjoyed her school, came back smiling and she excelled in her studies and became the talk of the school. In fact other Muslim girls started to wear tudung following her 'sunnah'. One of her teachers told her parents that she was very advanced for her age and that if she was an English or a resident, she would go far. (That sounds a bit racist I reckoned!)

From thereon, she always excels in her academic area. Top student in class, top student in school, top student in the state, and top student in her IB. What else could I ask Allah but be blessed with this child. Now, as she enters into her pen-ultimate year in the medicine, she still occasionally give out remarks like : "I'm thinking of giving up medicine!", or "I think I'll become a lecturer, much easier' (hey, who said it is easier?), or 'malasnyeeeeeeeee' (translated : I'm soooo lazyyyyy!). I'm not too worried about this coz, it's just the 'little girl tantrum' which had been submerged in her sub-conscious and tries to wriggle its way out once in a while. And that's fine, no worry. Once her conscious mind says : "Hmmm, that wasn't so bad, was it?", or "Hmmm, I'm OK", then her 'little girl tantrum' (just like the moment when she didn't want to go to school some 20 years ago), will subside and return to its rightful place : deep inside the sub-conscious twillight zone!

InshaAllah, and I'm confident that she will overcome all challenges to succeed. I know that, coz she is my girl. She always be my little big girl! And she is Ummu Layth! May the help of Allah be with her always.

The journey to excellence never ends, be it in ibadah or muamalat; for this world and the hereafter. The quest for knowledge is a never ending journey, just like the bridge across the blue ocean of wisdom.