My Beautiful One

It was love at first sight for me . The moment I laid eyes on this beautiful girl, I was deeply enamored. It was very akin to a love a mother must feel at the first glimpse of her newly born child. I cannot explain it. Seeing her almost took my breath away. But I was filled up with her soul.

When I left the island a couple of years ago for what I thought then as a permanent return to Los Angeles, I cried the hardest for days because of her. The thought of not seeing her for a long time was a difficult proposition I resolved I will be back to the island once or twice a year at a minimum just so I can see her. Fortunately, God had other plans. I came back to the island after a brief sojourn of only three months.

Last week she turned ten! We celebrated her birthday last Saturday at a park right next to the ocean somewhere in Waikiki. They day could have not been more perfect. Many families in Hawaii do their parties on parks and beaches. Where we held her birthday was a perfect combination of both.

I thought I'd share this weekend with you because this is one of the wonderful ways, us locals in Hawaii celebrate and get together. We throw a potluck, assign the venue and friends come over with lots of food, beach mats, beach chairs and lots of fun to pass around. Kids surf or boogeyboard while waiting for the food, or play ball, and adults laze around on their mats or beach chairs, exchanging food and stories. We even had a pinata full of candies for the kids. 

Xian, my beautiful one is the daughter of my very good friend Jesse. He is very much in love with her too. Actually, everyone and anyone who has met this child falls hopelessly in love with her. For she is not only beautiful on her appearance, she also has one of the most loving hearts one can ever hope to find in a girl.

Unlike many kids who constantly demand attention, this child is not a cause for any fuss at all. Full of innocence and love, she goes through her merry and quiet ways about her days. She surfs, boogeyboards, skateboards, rides her bike and does all kind of sports. And just like me, she also dances the hula. What she loves to eat? Ice cream, oh how she loves ice cream.

And like many kids in Hawaii, Xian is a hapa child. A child of mixed parentage, usually of one haole (causcasian) parent and an asian parent.

Xian's mother is a beautiful Filipino woman. Her dad is haole, as you can see in the photos. Result: a strikingly beautiful child.

She has an older brother Yves, whom she lovingly calls kuya (filipino term for elder brother). Yves is also a very beautiful and loving boy. Their parents did a real good job of loving them.

It is my prayer and wish that when God finally gives me and my husband a child, he or she will be very similar in spirit with Xian. She really is a most wonderful child. Perfect, just the way she is. I can go on and on about how much I love this child but there is no blog long enough to contain it. 

*Original post dated Jan 2007
XIAN, means "One, first" in Chinese