Happy Mother’s Day from the heart
A Mother’s Day tribute by Johanna Elattar, pictured with her mother
On this Mother’s Day, I honor the woman who shaped me with her strength, her sharp wit, and her unshakable will. My mother, Zenab Elattar, taught me that kindness isn’t weakness, and that laughter can live beside hardship. She was only 18 when she gave birth to me. She was barely more than a girl herself, an immigrant stepping into the unknown with a daughter in her arms and the weight of two worlds on her shoulders.
She walks through life with grace, even when life has been anything but gentle with her.
She is fierce in her convictions.
Deeply human.
My mother wasn’t perfect—but she was present, and she believed in me. From the very first story I wrote, she said I had a gift. She never dismissed my dreams of becoming a writer, even when the world told her to be practical. She encouraged my voice, my curiosity, and my need to tell stories, no matter how strange or painful or bold they were. She gave me lessons, and love in her own way. She is the reason I can laugh through tears, speak even when afraid, and keep standing no matter how many times I fall. And for that, I thank her—with all my heart.
I love you, Mom, happy Mother’s Day!
