One of my greatest joys in Portugal has been dropping off and picking up Amaal from school. When we arrive, there’s a sea of little blue uniforms in the playground – and then suddenly, she spots us. She runs toward us with pure joy, pigtails flying behind her, shouting “Nima! Opa!” as if she hasn’t seen us in weeks. Every single time, my heart just melts.
Then there are our conversations.
So many begin with, “I’ve got an idea!” followed by “How about…”
Like: “I’ve got an idea. How about you pick me up from school early today and we can go and have pastéis de nata?” How can anyone say no to that?
Every night, we pray together — and for the past week, her wish has been steady and sure:
“I want a baby rainbow unicorn.”
So this week, we hatched unicorn eggs. It took three days, and this morning, we were greeted by six tiny unicorns, each a different hue.
And as we left the house, she handed me a small butterfly and said, “Nima, this is for Nanima – so you can remember her.” It stopped me in my tracks.
Amaal also has a whole world of stuffies, each lovingly cared for.
She tucks them in under blankets, sings them lullabies, and sets up a toy TV so they can watch shows while she’s at school.
Sometimes she talks to them in English, sometimes in a made-up language.
This weekend, she asked me to be a teacher with her. I read her stuffies a story while she showed them pictures from the book. Beyond delightful.
And when she’s not being magical and tender, she’s wonderfully human — a regular four-year-old who whines (a lot sometimes) when she’s tired, hungry, or hasn’t slept enough. Because that’s what makes her real.
Through Amaal, I’m reminded every day how love, imagination, and wonder can turn the ordinary into something extraordinary. I’m learning how tough it can be for her to navigate school, friendships, and activities when she doesn’t speak Portuguese yet. Imagine being in school for a full day where there is barely any English and everything is conducted in portuguese, or taking swimming lessons from a portuguese-speaking instructor. Learning to find her place in a world that feels new and unfamiliar. That is Amaal’s world today
And yet, she’s so resilient.
When so much around her feels out of her control, she finds small, beautiful ways to reclaim it – by taking care of her stuffies, by making up stories, by hatching unicorns, by declaring that Nanima’s butterfly will keep her safe.
These are her ways of building safety, love, and meaning in a world that’s still unfolding. I am humbled.
