It’s good to have a hobby, especially if you have a stressful job. When I met Shahirah a few years ago, she told me that she was writing a book for her daughter. I was very impressed. She was and still is an oncology nurse and a mother of two. The two roles were already enough to keep her fully occupied, but she found time to write a book.
I ran into Shahirah again recently. She was thrilled to update me on her book. She had finished it and had it printed in time for her daughter’s graduation from kindergarten. Her daughter, Inaaya, had the most unique graduation gift.
Most mothers put a lot of thought into gifts, but Shahirah put in much more. There was a lot of work involved. She had the book edited and she had it beautifully illustrated. I love the “Be Kind” T-shirt that Inaaya’s father wore in the drawing on the cover of the book. We should all have a heart and be kind, even banana trees have hearts. I saw the biggest heart of the banana tree today by chance.
You can feel the warmth of family life radiating from the pages of Inaaya and Daddy’s Magic Ears. The book is about how Inaaya is comforted by her father’s presence, especially by the feel of his ears. It reminded me of what one of my Japanese classmates in my Thai class said. She said that the sense of touch is very important to children when they are very young. I found out later that she is a nurse by training. Children feel secure when they are held.
The gifts which are most precious are those which come from the heart. When we give a gift which we have made ourselves, we are giving something of ourselves – our ideas, our efforts, our time…
It is rare that a child receives a gift of a book written by her mother especially for her. It will, no doubt, be a gift which Inaaya will cherish all her life.
By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 17 February 2026
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