Just Another Day - 23rd April 2019

Our daughter just turned 18 

And I'm unable to fathom my emotions 

We were coincidentally watching some old home movies last night with friends Farida and Aftab, visiting us in The Gambia after over 10 years, and stumbled on some other old videos from 10 to 12 years ago, with Rehane as an 8 year old, dancing away at a New Years party in Cape Skirring.. and memories flooded back.

This little active sprightly baby of ours, has turned 18! Do I look worried or am I thrilled 😅😅😅. Of course I'm thrilled. Overjoyed.

I fondly remember her birth with Dr. Bahsoun informing me that the good news was that it was a baby girl, and luckily didn't resemble me!!

Shes 18. Its sinking in.

That teenager milestone that governments acknowledge and confirm that you've grown!! 

Yet I have always felt that this one passed that milestone quite a few years ago. 

Be it learning to drive, or travelling overseas independently, or engaging in activities or conversations with people far older than her, or cooking, not just for survival, but good cooking, food for friends. She loved snails and oysters and local west african ebeh and fufu, a widespread array of tastes that many of us adults would cringe from.

She's been doing all the above for quite some time. 

She jumped off an aircraft, sky-dived when she was barely 12, overcame a fear of eating while flying, just by doing it herself. She learnt swimming when barely a year old, swam in freezing waters around Vigo before she was 12.

She spoke and speaks fluent Arabic, English, French, Wolof and dabbled with Hindi Gujarati and other languages.. though prefers yakking away in Wolof in the company of her diverse Gambian, Hungarian, Lebanese friends. 

Her love for music - from being a persistent 1D fan, getting me to listen, like their music and travel to London for a live 1D performance, most of my music collection today is from her. 

Shes been good to very good at academics, despite having parents who never did push her.. excelled in extra curricular activities and has always made us proud as parents. Her love for design, clothes and especially shoes has been consistent. Her painting skills have always been noticed and her steady hand while applying henna, earning good pocket money, has reassured us that she would never be strapped for cash in life. 

Well behaved at other peoples parties, and a help and friend to her friends,  her ability to keep friends for long is encouraging.

Ofcourse, she's imbibed a headstrong attitude from her parents, and a pretty short temper too. ..😅. Adamant and stubborn too - never did and vehemently refuses to learn to cycle, but has liked riding pillion on my motor bikes, though defiant while asked to wear a helmet, lest it infringe with her hair-do.... .. But then those are traits that we adults have.

So though my daughter turns 18 today, shes been an adult a long time ago! 

Happy Birthday Babes😍😍😍