Prologue    

    "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yeah, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

Like Isaiah, I occasionally contemplate whether the Lord has forgotten me. I would often wonder why a compassionate and loving God would ever deliberately inflict one of his beloved children with such struggles and hardships. For instance, I would ask myself, 'What on earth I could have done to deserve these challenges?' Yet, this scripture shows how much God loves us. He will never forget us; He knows our trials and sorrows; He knows everything that makes us cry and laugh. He will aid us through every obstacle and "wall" by blessing us with "guardian angels" to help us overcome our problems.

All through my life, there have been many unexpected stumbling blocks placed in my path. Still, I feel that I am actually very privileged to have such trials. I feel honored to have this thrust in my pathway. There are so many things that I would never have had the opportunity to do. There are so many people I would have never met without my challenges; I have been able to pursue my career goals, and focus on my academic quest.

Each chapter of this novel has characters that have shaped my personality and given me the strength to continue through the stressful journey of life. These real-life human beings have shown their support for me as a "normal" person in a hostile world that has repeatedly told and shown me that I was extremely "different."

I believe that everybody has guardian angels influencing our lives for the better. They are the people that we could not imagine surviving without; they are the people who have stuck by our sides when everybody else has departed; they are the people who give emotional support through tears and laughter. My family members and friends are truly my "Guardian Angels," and their love and understanding have shown God's everlasting love.

So I pose the question: who are your "guardian angels"?