"My Journey with Aladin" is a true story about a little girl, her torn family and an extraordinary horse that brought them closer together. I struggled while writing it, because it was not easy to relive some of the hard parts. There was the death of my father, followed by years of domestic violence and finally, the move to a distant land, Australia. These were huge, life-altering events and as such they loom large in my mind. Yet there are things that loom even larger. Things like breaking free of my stepfather, my mother's courage and perseverance, the amazing kindness of strangers and the beauty of our new country. Last, but not least, there is Aladin. He was my first horse, my dream come true. He was also my greatest challenge. From the day he arrived in my life until the day he left, Aladin was my mirror. He showed me everything that was wrong with me at the start. Then, he challenged me. I had always excelled academically, but that had been easy. This, this was hard. In order to make my dream come true I had to conquer my fears, let go of the past and learn to live in the moment. Needless to say, I struggled. I lacked the experience and my faith in myself was low. But what I lacked in these areas, I made up for in sheer tenacity. I refused to give up. It paid off and my horse became my trusted friend, till the end. Today, I am a horsewoman, an artist, a scientist and a lawyer rolled into one. In addition to my full time job, I continue to pursue my love of writing in the hope that one day I will be able to dedicate myself more fully to my art. But the real reason I am writing this letter is to share a simple truth that is in my heart: the final, most poignant lesson my horse taught me the day he left this world. Do not be afraid to love, for true love never dies.