SPM ( equivalent to O Levels) started last week on 8th of November 2016. Today is 15 November 2016. My daughter Sofi is sitting for  her 4th paper of the SPM examination. Just a while before, I had prayed and asked Allah swt to make the paper easy for her and all other students. This daughter of mine, the youngest, the wittiest and the most hardworking girl is going to finish school. In less than 3 weeks from now, she will complete her exams and will be "school free." I have mixed feeling though. Although I am happy for her, part of me still long for the days of getting up early morning to prepare breakfast for her. Preparing her school uniform, helping with homework, getting lunch ready before she comes home....and the list goes on. I know, she will still be at home for a good 4 to 6 months before college. But then its not the same again. Children grow up. They start a new chapter. They become more independent and your role in their life becomes less. Take for example my son. For years I did everything for him. When he first went to University Malaya. My husband and I cleaned up his room in his hostel. Soon he had another offer, which took him to Kolej Mara Banting. Here we scrubbed clean his room, wiped the windows and fan, took out the mattress and gave it a good beating under the sun. We even put up mosquito net on his window. Actually we had created so much scene, that many of his college mates already recognised us on the first day! We did the same for my eldest when she went to university too. There my husband and I even changed the flooring mat for her.

Now my son is overseas. He does everything for himself. He moved houses. Enrolled in the Uni. Cooked, washed and ironed himself. I feel helpless when he has a problem and I can't go and solve it for him. My eldest is also married and runs her own house herself. Soon it will be the same for my little Sofi. I find it most difficult to let her grow up. But time waits for no one. I know this young lady will soon grow up into a beautiful and intelligent young woman. Just as how her two elder siblings have grown. My husband and I have given them the necessary knowledge to survive on their own and pray that they have a successful life no matter where they are.