{"id":615,"date":"2014-12-30T08:00:45","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T13:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/commonwordcommonlord\/?p=615"},"modified":"2014-12-29T21:59:36","modified_gmt":"2014-12-30T02:59:36","slug":"she-would-have-been-eighteen-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/commonwordcommonlord\/she-would-have-been-eighteen-today\/","title":{"rendered":"She Would Have Been Eighteen Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Name Of God: The Infinitely Merciful And Compassionate Beloved Lord<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

She would have been eighteen-years-old today. Eighteen. It is hard for me to even fathom what that would have been like. Today would have been her first day of adulthood; the first day of the rest of her life; her first day of being the woman she always wanted to be, the woman I had always hoped she would be.<\/p>\n

Yet, sadly, it will never come to pass.<\/p>\n

I always wonder what kind of woman she would have been. What kind of adult would she have been? Would she have wanted to become a doctor like me? An interior designer<\/a> like her mother? A lawyer? A writer? An artist? What would she have done to make her mother and me so very proud?<\/p>\n

Sadly, we will never come to know.<\/p>\n

There is one thing, however, I do know: she would have been a most beautiful eighteen-year-old. Not only did the Lord grace her with physical beauty, but she also had a profound beauty of her soul. There was not a person who interacted with her that did not immediately love her; did not immediately fall in love with her beautiful spirit; did not immediately fall in love with her gorgeous smile.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

She was something truly special, and although I am so very grateful for every waking moment we had with her, it is killing me that I will never know what kind of woman she would have become. It is killing me that I will never watch her graduate from high school or college; never walk her down the aisle at her wedding; never see the beautiful grandchildren she would have had. I know that her passing was the will of my Beloved, but it does not cease to hurt all the same.<\/p>\n

She would have been eighteen today, and although my heart cries out that I can\u2019t celebrate her birthday with her here on earth, I know that they are throwing her an amazing party in Heaven: with Angels all decked out in pink like she loves.<\/p>\n

Lord, Beloved Lord, please tell my Booboo that I wish her\u200a\u2014\u200awith all my heart\u200a\u2014\u200aa very Happy Eighteenth Birthday. Lord, Beloved Lord, please tell my Booboo to have an extra piece of heavenly cake for her father who loves her so very much. Lord, Beloved Lord, please tell my Booboo that her Baba misses her\u2026so very much.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the Name Of God: The Infinitely Merciful And Compassionate Beloved Lord She would have been eighteen-years-old today. Eighteen. It is hard for me to even fathom what that would have been like. 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Hassaballa","description":"Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago doctor and writer. He has written extensively on a freelance basis, being published in newspapers across the country and around the world. He has been a Beliefnet columnist since 2001, and has written for the Religion News Service. He is also a columnist for Patheos. His articles have been distributed worldwide by Agence Global, and he was also a guest blogger for The Chicago Tribune and has blogged on ChicagoNow\" . In addition, Dr. Hassaballa has appeared as a guest on WTTW (Channel 11) in Chicago, CNN, Fox News, BBC, and National Public Radio. Dr. Hassaballa is co-author of The Beliefnet Guide to Islam (Doubleday), and his essay, \u201cWhy I Love the Ten Commandments,\u201d was published in the award-winning book Taking Back Islam (Rodale). His latest book, Noble Brother, is the story of the Prophet Muhammad told entirely in poetry, and it is now published in its second edition. 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