A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER
On Mother’s Day May 10 th , 2020, my beloved mother died after a short battle with ovarian cancer. She was 77 years old. She had 38 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; and she’s survived by 36. She died at home surrounded by most of her children, grand-children, and daughters-in-law. The room was so packed with her loving family. It was her wish to die, quickly, at home surrounded by her children and lots of prayers. And for that we are grateful. She was graceful and died with peace and love in her heart. Our hearts are full of sadness and our tears are still wet, but we are joyful that she didn’t suffer for too long. Her final hours on this earth were graced with calm, love, and prayer that sealed her well-lived and eventful life. This is part of her story. Amina Khelah, my sweet mother, was born in Yafa, Palestine in 1943. She was five years old when she and her family were displaced as a result of the 1948 Israeli-Arab war. She became an internal refugee and s