The MADAME Arabia editorial team pens an epistolary tribute to the mothers who anchored them, and the Children they’re raising. On Mother’s Day, they share letters on inherited strength, lived courage, and a love that outlasts everything.

Cynthia Kattar, Editor-in-Chief

To my Alex, through you, I learned how vast love could be and how differently the world could be seen. Your generosity of spirit, your witty mind, and the values you carry with such ease continue to leave me in awe… You taught me how to look closer, to notice more, to feel deeper. As you walk through life, hold firmly to who you are. Move with confidence, anchored in your principles. Let your hunger and passion for education guide you forward, open doors, and shape the path that is uniquely yours. Above all, live boldly and without apology, knowing you are always supported by a love that never wavers.

To my Chloe, in you I see courage, independence and a rare certainty of self. You meet the world head-on with strength, joy and an instinct to follow your own rhythm. Your confidence inspires me. Your energy reminds me that life is meant to be lived fully, not cautiously. Keep choosing yourself. Build a life surrounded by those who challenge you, celebrate you, and never dim your spark. If there is one truth I
hope you both carry with you, it is this – love who you are with intention. When you honour yourselves, everything you touch will be richer for it.
Love, Your Mom

Beya Bou Harb, Creative Producer

Mom,
I don’t think I tell you this enough, but you are the reason I am who I am today. You’ve always shown up for us, even when life was heavy and unfair, even when you were tired or overwhelmed. You were our
constant, the one who held everything together without ever asking for anything in return. You did the best you could with what you had, and somehow you always made sure we felt loved, safe, and protected. As a child, I didn’t always understand how much you carried on your shoulders. As I’ve grown older, I see it clearly and I admire you even more for it. You are a fighter, Mom. You face life with courage and responsibility, even when it’s hard, even when no one is watching. Everything strong in me comes from you, the way I face challenges, the way I keep going, the way I believe in myself. Thank you for loving us the way you did, and the way you still do. I carry you with me in everything I am.
Love, Beya

Priyanka Pradhan, Deputy Editor

My dear daughter, I write to you today as you make pulleys and levers for school projects and elaborate Lego castles for your room. Tomorrow, you’ll be building far bigger things to find your place in the world, outside of what you know and love. It’s a small world, if you think about it. It’s not a big, scary one, if you know who you are and what you’re capable of. So, spend time in solitude to get to know yourself. Understand yourself first to make sense of everything else. I want you to know that there are no good or bad people. Just people who do both good and bad things. We are all only human, so I hope you grow into a compassionate person, with an open mind and a kind heart. Walk bravely and work honestly. Life may sometimes look complicated, but just like the pulleys and levers you build now, you’ll learn to be wiser about where to place your effort. Build patiently and with care, because in life, as in Lego, the
strongest things are made one piece at a time.
Love, Mom, always by your side

Junaynah El Guthmy, Social Media Specialist

Mama,
As I get older, I understand more clearly how much of who I am began with you. You carried ambition, faith, and sacrifice so naturally that I didn’t realise until adulthood how rare that combination is. You showed me what it means to break the mould, to be the first to choose a path simply because it mattered to you, even when others didn’t see the point or believe in the dream. Some of my clearest memories of us are the simplest ones, like when you would dance with me. In those moments, you made joy feel safe and natural. You never questioned my curiosity or my imagination. You taught me that play is not
something we outgrow, and now I get to play for a living. I am ambitious because you taught me to go after what I want myself. I am compassionate because you modelled empathy and fairness, even when it came at a cost. My dreams are only possible because you allowed me to dream, and because your sacrifices taught me that believing is not naive, it’s powerful.
You are my hero, always.
Love, Junaynah