CHILDREN ARE THE MOST VALUABLE GIFTS

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

My dearest Children - Azlan, Azman and Azreena.

Our golden memories, when my children are still young

This write up is dedicated to all
my three children and also to my 
four grand daughters - Nur  Shafiqah, 
Nur Dian Khadeeja, Nur Sabryna, Nur 
Demi Khaleeda dan also to the new 
one, coming in a few months time.

Now all of them  are grown up adults and already have their own family and children.

It is my sincere hope that this write-up will be an inspiration, not just for my children and my grand children, but to all those out there who are themselves children and grand children as well as parents.

Azlan or Lan , travels a lot in the cause of his duties

Their father and I, have always been proud
of our three children - Lan, Boy and Eena as we call them. Thank You Allah S.W.T. for granting us with such wonderful children. I felt blessed. They have brought more happiness than we could have ever wished for.

We cannot forget the joy every time we knew they are about to be born in 9 months time. Their birth have always been a happy moment for me and their father and it brings great joy to the family.

Life is a journey and so does for any family. We travel together through good and bad times, from the day I carried them for nine months, till birth then the growing up from babies to toddler, teenage until they became adults.

Azman and wife Nurul with their daughter Dian

The most memorable time is the time seeing them growing up and the most saddest time is when I have to let go their hands on the day they married, to start another chapter of their life,  sharing it with someone they love,  that became part of their life. Watching every moment of their development and growing up is a joy and happy moments for us and I believe to other parents too.

We are always excited seeing our babies starting to learn how to smile, crawl, stand, walk, talk and finally run. They are being showered with lots of love and care not just by us but by all members of our family.

Than came the kindergarten days. I still remember
on Azlan, Azman and Eena's first day, every time I had to sit in the class just to give assurance that they do not felt "abundant" or being dump into a new strange environment. 

It was an experience not just for them but for me and my hubby. 

Abby and Dian, my dearly  grand daughters

A few years later, another milestone when they started going to the primary school, it is l like we are going back to school. As a mother, I'm always nervous to think how will my dear son or daughter survive in the first few days of school, but they did. To me school is a serious business, though they got the time to play but study is a must and will be top priority. I gave a lot of attention to my children when they started schooling from primary to secondary school. There are a lot of sacrifices and running around in term of time, energy  and attention. As journalist my working hours is not fixed and there a lot of time I have to work long hours, weekends, nights and away from home for few days.

However, I believe in quality time. Every time 
I'm not working, my time is for my children. We
eat together, we do home work together, we play
together, I teach them to read Quran and we travel together. Every year, my kids get the privilege to travel overseas with us as the Bank where my hubby works provide that benefits. They are considered as among the lucky children who can see the world. About their education, during school days, I spend a lot of my time going to the school, getting to know their teachers, friends and even the friends family.

To me when children started to go to school, this is the time for them to start learning to adhere strictly to discipline and managing their time,  for the many things they want to do, from home work to play time, studying, watching their favourite program on TV and sleep.

The most challenging time is watching, guarding

Eena and er hubby Najib with their daughter Abby

and guiding them when they became teenagers. It is the most critical period of one's life and this is the time children needs their parents before they started to mold their own identity, minds  and philosophy of life.

I can say it is not an easy responsibility to
full fill. I spend a lot of time to monitor their activities closely and even go to extend of sending and picking them up when they went outing with friends be it for a movie or party. Library visit is part of our activity together as and when they wanted to go.  In spite of the challenges, Alhamdulillah finally they all manage to reach to the university  and graduated with flying colours and came out to be a fine gentlemen and women.

Getting them to the overseas university is easy but the scholarship is sticky. So all of them started the university with "mama and papa scholarship" until the second year they finally got a scholarship. Once they are in the university, they are already independent but as a mother I do keep in close touch with them with frequent phone calls or visit them once every year, besides them coming home for holiday.

Demi is now 6 mths old, my youngest grand daughter at this time

When they are young, each of them has a character of their own, Lan has  always wanted to be a leader,when he plays he want to be the boss. Boy with his passion for the match box cars collection and he said he want to make cars. My youngest is Eena, the active girl with lots of curiosity.

Now all the three of them have a career of their own. Lan a graduate in Mechanical Engineer from Michigan State University is now an executive director in a consultant company. Boy a graduate in Automotive Engineering from Hertfordshire, UK graduated as the top student and is now an engineer at the Powertain Department with the national car company. Eena a graduate in Bio-Tech from Monash University is a clinical marketing executive with a pharmaceutical company that takes her to many places as far as Korea, to Japan and USA.

Hari Raya is the time for gathering for the family

When they were young, I have always stressed to them that education is the most valuable asset. It is important for them to reach the highest level of education they could go.We as parents will always ensure that we will provide 
them with the financial support for them to pursue their education even if it means we have to take loans or mortgage our land and house. But one thing for sure we cannot and will not provide them with wealth.

Alhamdulillah, Lan got his MBA, Boy is now pursuing his PHD and Eena is too busy being a career women, mother and wife for the time being, cannot find the time and energy to further her study.

At the same time, while academic is important, we have also stressed and ensure that my three children are also grown up to be a good muslim and human being as well as a rounded human individual with the right values.

As they continue their journey, they are also being reminded  that life is actually is short and made of little things. Continue to appreciate and value what ever we already have. In uncertainties and difficulties there are hidden wisdom. Allah S.W.T. is always great, most merciful and forgiving. @20.03.2015