#ABtalks with Mona Elshazly - منى الشاذلي | Chapter 174

Okay. Hello. Hello. This is my clap. Is it only available to you? Is it only available to you? No, it is fine, you can clap with me here. -Okay, let us do it then. -Let us clap together. 1, 2, 3. -Nice. -Better. Hello, Mona. Hello, Anas. Hello, Anas. Finally. I do not know how I am.

here. But it happened. Destiny, and there are. universal arrangements. I told you I was just on the border line, and I already had to travel for work. I entered the airport, and I found the beautiful Yasmine Sabry, and you are mentioned. She does not even know that we are talking, and arranging. And then I found another young actress,

and then a young actor, and then I found a great speaker who I met by coincidence. So, I felt like you conspired with the universe, and not that the universe conspired with you. Thank God. The most important thing is that the universe brought you here. It made you sit in front of me. Everything is destined. Everything is destined. So, in the beginning, how are you really doing? Thank God for all His blessings, but if you want a description of my condition now,

a very busy mind. with all files opened. Files related to some matters, files related to moving from one channel to another, and files related to the artistic part. However, with being this busy, there is a reassured soul. Thank God. Okay, this is about your condition. And if I have a white canvas, empty, Yes. and I asked you to draw Mona’s current mental state,

what would you draw? I will not go for black. I will never choose the black color. I might leave it blank. as I am always optimistic even if I am not totally okay. So, what would probably show on the canvas is.

my hope and trust in life and God. Even if I had scribbles inside, I will still see it as colorful, white, bright, or nice. unconsciously. So, do you think you are more of a positive person. than a negative one? -Yes, of course. -Yes. Although you are not someone who experienced a life, I will not call it easy, but full, all things considered. I believe it has experiences, family,

struggles, and challenges in channels. Like. it is not a life without struggles. There are struggles. So, it is not…. I believe that the person who goes through struggles, being positive becomes harder. They have to make a choice. with the intention of being positive. I believe that the base starts with how they are mentally shaped. It is something natural from God. What is after that is a decision to use this nature and enhance it, or step back and say.

that life is bad. Basically, as the lord of all creation said, “We have created man in toil.”. As Abu Al Ala Al-Ma’arri said, “Life is full of hardship.”. So, by default, a part of it being life, it has to have problems and struggles. So, I would be silly or an idiot. if I believed or dreamed of a life without problems.

I think it is a type of stupidity, on the contrary. I take problems and challenges…. True, sometimes the days and decisions are hard, but this is the life that God has created us on Earth for. I will not invent a world of my own to be comfortable. Okay, and if I asked you, Mona, who are you, how would you describe yourself? Of course, it is hard.

I am the daughter of a middle-class family. My parents were from the 60’s generation. The great one. This generation, and especially my dad, God rest his soul, cared the most about shaping the person. The person’s ethics are the most important thing. The essence is more important than the appearance. I love my surroundings.

Not hateful of anything. There is no food that I hate. There is no person that I hate. I might be mad at a person, or I avoid them, or I delete them. I can delete them from my life, but to… You know, when my children were young, Anas, they would be like, “I hate this,”. this word, I swear to God, it hurts me from the inside. I would tell them to not use this word, and how can a person say this.

The word “hatred” is a very hard word in how I am shaped. There are other options, I might not love some people, and I can delete some people from my own life as I told you, but no, I am loving. I love being productive. Not spoiled. I was not raised to be spoiled at all, neither physically nor emotionally. My dad, God rest his soul, always said, “Toughen up because the blessings does not last.”.

When you are tough. from inside, and not from…. When you are strong from the inside, not the outside, everything becomes easy, and when the blessing comes, you value it and feel happy with it. And when the blessing disappears, you will be able to get up on your feet and go on in life. I was raised in a house. where I found a very big library when I was young.

My dad did not get arrogant with us. because we found out that he made a corner for children’s books. and all the simplified. children’s encyclopedias besides his magnificent. and rare books. No, he made us love reading very much. My mom was one of the mothers. who really cared that her children would…. We are 3 siblings consisting of me, my brother, and my sister. We learned writing when we were 2 years and a half.

The 3 of us went to school like, “What? School is so easy.”. It was not something that should take up a lot of space in our brains. Life had many more important things. So, school was easy. And we would do many other things. So, I grew up in a family. that provided me with mental stability, and... great love for life, and good intentions in the world. Nice.

your childhood in 3 words. I do not know the third word. Learning, loving, responsibility. Nice. And your dad’s, God rests his soul, name is Mohamed, right? -Yes. God rest his soul and bless him. -Okay. I believe that uncle Mohamed was in the military? No, but he volunteered although. he had no military service required from him. He volunteered in the 1956 war.

Okay! -when the tripartite aggression happened in Egypt. -Yes. No military service was required from him. He was not required in recruitment. but he volunteered. in the public resistance. And he went to the Canal cities. No, my father is great. And he never bragged about many important. and beautiful things he had done. And what did you learn from him?

I learned many things from him. I learned ethics from him. Ethics. And why do you get sensitive till now when talking about your dad? Of course, I get emotional when I remember my dad because. he has the biggest culture, ethics, knowledge, and simplicity. And this is probably. the most important thing I learned, which is that. nothing in life requires bragging,

not appearance, car, clothes, or even a certificate. Bragging is through actions and confidence, and how much good influence you left. even if it was among a small circle. even if it was among a small circle. If you asked me about the greatest person in the world, I would tell you it is the one. who leaves a positive influence on people around them, who leaves a positive influence on people around them, even if it is a positive influence by a political leader. to his surrounding countries.

or from a simple head of a household. -True. -What is required from us in life? Like…. Sometimes, I watch my show. when I…. Even if it was a fun, comedic, laughter, singing part, I think I added. quality to the time of the person watching this episode.

I believe that this is all my dad’s influence, which is that we are not supposed to deal with life. with this ferocity and greediness, and trying. to make many benefits. with an amount of greediness and savagery. -Is…? -Like…. No, he taught us many things indirectly. or we saw him practicing them. I will tell you something.

For example, we were living in a house. where the water meter was broken. Nobody could dare to leave the tap water heavily running. And my brother dared to tell him once, “Dad, the meter is broken, so, we will not be….”. The estimation is random. They estimate using the average number, so, no matter the amount of water we consumed, it was the same estimation. He told him, “This is a responsibility. I am not telling you this for money.”. And because I was the youngest child,

so, I would always learn without clashing. I see and I learn without fighting with my dad. I never fought with him. You know, today. I was having lunch with. the business manager. And I saw a picture of my grandfather’s house, God rests his soul, and then I remembered him. I told him that my grandfather was an entrepreneur and whatnot, and at his time, there were no contracts. And even when he got separated from his business partner,

it was not about a contract but about rights. So, he gave the man his rights and more. although some people were saying, “No, he does not deserve it.”. A clash happened between them for example, so, they would say that. he does not deserve it. He would say, “No, he deserves it, he was my partner, and I gave my word. And I will give him his rights to end things peacefully.”. So, I was listening…. He is from the Millennials or Gen Z. So, I was telling him about the lost days. when greeting had its word and promise. No need for…. So, why did I like your father’s, God rests his soul, story?

It is not about the meter, but values. Principle. Yes, true. Even if nobody saw me, God sees me, and I see myself. -True. -I see myself and God sees me. -True. -I do not need somebody telling me that I am wrong. So, I feel like…. True. I was even talking to him about the topic of cheating. Today we are talking about everything in life. Let us do it. I told him that. when a person is in a relationship, I think, for example, if I am in a relationship,

I am not married, but if I got in a relationship, -dude, I do not want… -And you have never been married before, Anas? I was married, I have 2 boys, I got divorced, and whatnot. -Anyways, -Got divorced or you divorced? What is…? I do not know what the difference is. No, were you the one who sought a divorce, -No, both. -or her, or both of you? We were young when we got into a relationship, so, I think in the last stage, we were already. roommates in the house. Roommates. It was as if love was never there, and we changed a lot,

we got separated, and then we got divorced. So, I felt like our relationship became like. roommates from both sides. Anyway, I was telling him that I was seeing everybody cheating. Cheating has become too normal. to the point that it is not nice. Even when guys talk to each other, they talk about cheating and…. So, I was saying, speaking of your father, God rests his soul, that you are not supposed to cheat for your own sake, dude. If I decided to marry now or be in a serious relationship,

even if nobody sees me, I am inside my house and I know that I can. ‘Mission Impossible’ and nobody will know. I know. And will I sleep rested when I am alone with Anas? I know that I am wrong, filthy, a cheater, etc., but I know. These are important factors in how you were raised, and a part of you should be able to. glorify these values in yourself.

because siblings could have the same principles, but somebody gave up on them and somebody did not. -True. -So, that is why I believe it is a reason. for the father’s or the school’s effort and influence, and human nature. is what glorifies this. Your father teaches you how to read, but you develop your passion for reading. Your father teaches you about loyalty, but you glorify the value of devotion. -That is true. -I feel like it is….

There is a step that we do not have control over, but of course, there is a step or a decision we make. that we have control over. Interesting words, what you are saying. I have not thought about it. I have not thought about it that way. He is not present, but he is present here, or the value he planted is here.

I am sentimental unlike you. I am a person that…. We were just talking about…. I am a presenter, so, I will address the people. I will talk to the people. I was just telling him that we are so dissimilar. I am a very sentimental person, and Anas appears as an unsentimental person to me. from a distance I do not know why. I do not know if I am right or wrong. Are you really not sentimental? I am, God bless you, in a nutshell because outside the studio.

you told me that my mother is evident. Yes. My mother is one of…. I swear, Mona, and you will know and judge for yourself, everybody judges as they wish, God granted her a high level of empathy. It is extraordinary. Normally, people who empathize, would watch a nice video and be like. this is normal. Superficially. My mom would sit with you, Mona, and when you talk about your father, God rests his soul,

she would cry before you. Before you. You would not need to cry. She would cry. She puts herself in your shoes. She has this thing. I would tell her that God granted her something. that is why people open up to you. When we were young, we would see people. opening up to her wherever we went, whether it was in the supermarket or airplane, and they would cry with her. So, as children, we would be thinking, “What is happening?”. Why are people…. sympathizing…? Well. I totally understand, and I told you that your dear mother that I love.

because I also see in her this empathetic side or. being. compassionate. She has an amount of empathy with the universe, and with like…. that puts a sentimental load on the person. as they become burdened. I am sure sometimes what happens. with your mother is what happens with me, like, “Mona, you are not going to live with all the world’s problems”. like enough. True. You lighten up. And for example, when I reach this condition,

the only thing that pulls me out of it is, “No Mona, you need to be strong. to be able to help the people you empathize with”. This is what pulls me out of frustration, or extreme sadness, or being broken, like, “Wake up. You are required to help other people. So, do not fall”. And I think your mother is like that.

My mother is like that, and the difference between me and her, in English, she is empathetic, and I am sympathetic. I. do not have the empathy to put myself in the person’s shoes, but I sympathize with them. Like, I sympathize, I understand, but I do not know how to put myself in their shoes. So, I always have this space between me and the other person. And thanks be to God, maybe…. People always say, “Anas, you have done about 200 episodes now. and that is 200 people.

Don’t you get tired? Don’t you take days off?”. I do not take days off. I do not have off-season and peak-season. “So, how do you not get depressed, and how…?”. And I do not have an answer, but I say that maybe God granted me this ability. to not dive deep. in the other person’s feelings or else I would be exhausted, and I would collapse from the stories I listen to. There are a lot of not very-nice-stories. So, that might be why. Sometimes I feel like not being too empathetic is a blessing because. Mona might call me saying. that she needs my support, and she does not want anybody to collapse with her.

Do not collapse, Anas. I am very logical. So, maybe logic takes over. empathy, you know? Logic does not contradict empathy. And I will explain to you. It is a different human composition. For example, I can cry and laugh easily. You would find me laughing and crying so quickly. However, this does not erase my mind. It does not erase it at all, but my laugh and tears are faster than my mind.

I express the sentimental part, but no, my mind is present. because sentimentality without a rational mind. is not sentimentality. It becomes. futile. A rational mind makes your empathy positive. It is not about sobbing, but it is how to help.

Your brain immediately translates to, “How to help?”. Or that I empathized, but my mind is telling me. that something is wrong. I should go over the story again. as there might be a wrong piece of information, and maybe there is something that is not true. No, I am one of the people whose mind and heart are aligned. equally. Your relationship with your mother when you were a child?

Look, I do not want people to think that I am with you to flatter myself, but I was a very calm child. I am a calm person in general, and strong. I told you that my strength is from the inside. I do not like the power. where it is about showing, loud voices, screaming, or bullying. No, I think that the most powerful people. are the calm ones whose strength comes from the inside,

and who can say no whenever it is useful. They are those who do something. they are convinced with even if those around them are not. This is strength, but to threaten or curse or…. No. So, I was very calm. God granted me a loving family, and a very sentimental mother.

Very. Like…. Sometimes I remember and think, “Why don’t I remember miseries?”. although of course, miseries happened. When I thought about it, I discovered that I deleted miseries from life. I discovered that I deleted miseries from life. I do not like my emotional storage to be distorted. Of course, big bad things happened, but it did not leave what is called trauma.

It did not…. because I pressed delete. Some people might disagree with me saying. that you should actually bring up traumas to heal and face them. This works with some people, but not with me. My. best solution to continue loving life is to delete…. best solution to continue loving life is to delete…. Deleting any emotionally hurtful memory. I do not want to remember it. I do not want to remember somebody harming me. Is it possible for someone to delete it?

Yes. Do you forget? Does that mean. you are sweeping everything under the carpet? -But… -Under the carpet if there is residue, but no, I really delete them. I really delete them. so that. my soul would not be bothered or uneasy. When my soul…. Okay. When I feel like my inner self or soul. has some impurities, I do not know how to work,

I do not know how to be nice to my children, and I do not know how to be cooperative with my husband. I do not know how to do anything. My only solution is. to have a clear soul. regardless the preoccupations and problems, but when the soul is clear, I can function. So…. Therefore, I do not want anything. to disturb my peace with life, and positive opinion about people and the universe.

Yes, I know that there are many evils. Yes, I know that life hits us sometimes. That is life. This is life, and each person chooses how to face it. Somebody decides to fight with it, somebody chooses to be patient with it, somebody chooses to adapt to it, and somebody like me decides that. they will only see the good part. as if they did not live except for the good part. Have you ever wanted to be a presenter when you were young?

-No. At all. -What…? What did you dream of being? What did you dream of being? Look, I wanted to be a doctor. Okay. This is for sure. A clever girl in school. who loves serving people, so, my dream was to become a doctor, although that…. Since I was in grade 1, I would practice presenting, school broadcasts, school newspaper, and competitions. Even when I was in the university, I would present the university’s parties and bring cups,

but no, I am not a presenter by the way. It was a hobby. This is something I do in my free time, but for sure I am…. I am either a doctor or…. And I loved and wanted to be a doctor or a teacher. But to be a doctor was the dream. However, when I went to the American University, I found that what is close to me is Mass Communication. But I also decided that I would not be a presenter. I chose the faculty of Mass Communication.

so that I can work in a multinational company, and apply what we have studied. I present parties, but…. Until my friend in the university told me, “Mona….”. She was ahead of me as she was graduating. She told me, “Mona, I am attending a training. in something new called ART.”. I asked her, “What is this?”. Still.

We are talking about the 90s. I told her, “Yes, but doesn’t this require the satellite? We do not have a satellite.”. We did not have a satellite back then. It was not common in Egypt. She told me, “Anyway, I applied, and I am taking a course there.”. And I was still a student at the university. She told me, “Look, Mona, I will tell you something.”. Her name is Abeer Wagdy. All the greetings and love to you, Abeer, although I have not seen you in years. But she told me, I swear to God, you know, she held me like this saying, “Mona,

this is your job. You have to be a presenter.”. You know, she woke me up. All of this time, and I was in my final year. I never applied or thought about it. She told me, “Mona, you are a presenter.”. “Mona, you are...”. In anything related to Mass Communication at the university, I was very active in all the activities, parties, and all the…. Anyway, she told me, “You are a presenter.”. So, I looked at her saying, “No, Abeer.”. She told me, “You are a presenter. Apply with us.” I told her, “I did not graduate.”.

She told me, “Apply.”. See her enthusiasm? My dear. That is why I am telling you I remember the nice things. She is supposedly bringing a competition to herself. In the course where she was, some people are. going to succeed, and some are not. So, it would be better for her if there were a few people. She told me, “Mona, if anybody deserves to be. a presenter, it is you.”. So, I went with her…. I told her, “No. No, Abeer, look, I did not even finish my studies,

and a jack of all trades is a master of none. I am still in my final year. No, all that I got from what you are saying is…”. I was the copy editor of the University’s journal. The Caravan. So, we were leading it, and we needed to write a lot of articles. So, I told her, “Look, no, Abeer, all I will do. is use the funny things you do in the training…”. They train them on voice-related things, and how to pronounce letters. I told her, “No, I will make a coverage and a newspaper article.

to submit and get a grade for it.”. So, I went with her, and they had been training for 3 months, and a great Palestinian man was giving them the training. God bless him if he was alive, and rest his soul if he passed away. Mr. Mostafa Abu Gharbiya. Mr. Mostafa Abu Gharbiya. I sat in the corner. We took permission from him that I will take notes. to write an article in the university’s journal. My luck,

or my destiny, or what I was created for. happened in this session. The man stayed for 3 months teaching them about…. I swear to God, making them memorize poetry, general information, etc. so that when they are tested…. So, he told them that day, “We will revise”. with his beautiful Palestinian accent. The man asks any question. in geography, and they were all quiet, Anas.

and I was the only one…. I was sitting in the corner, I told him, “I can answer the question.”. Piece of cake. All his questions were about geography, history, art, etc. They are all things I read, and dealt with them in my daily life like water and air. I do not know what in history, wars, Himalayan mountain, a certain song, a certain poem, etc.

There was no question that he asked…. And then he turned to me saying, “What are you doing here?”. Like…. He was a nice man. He told me, “No, you are. going to be a presenter with us in ART.”. I told him, “No. I still did not graduate.”. “I still did not graduate from the university.”. He told me, “No, you are with us. I will make a camera test for you.”. I told him, “No, I am,”. going back to my dad, I told him, “No, I did not apply for the course, Mr. Mostafa. I will apply for the next course, God willing,

and I will succeed in it.”. He told me, “Forget the damn course”. again, in his beautiful spontaneous way. He told me, “No, when will you graduate?”. I told him, “I still have 6 months”. He told me, “Till we finish the procedures.”. I told him, “What procedures?”. He told me, “The procedures of traveling to Italy.”. I went back home, and I told them, “Guys, look, I was doing this assignment, etc.”.

Anyway, I told him…. Before this, I had a final exam. And I remember it was a modern history test. I finished my test at the university, and I went, and I was not happy. I finished the test. It was also a camera test with new questions. And it was a piece of cake. The questions were very easy for me. There was nothing hard about them. whether it was in the language, or… I do not know.

And. they took the tapes, and I knew later on. that Sheikh Saleh Kamel, God rests his soul and have mercy on him, -the man who did me a great favor, -God rests his soul. he gave me the highest evaluation. And he said, “She will travel to Rome”. No intermediary, I know nobody, and I did not seek it.

That is why I will repeat this. Life is generous with us in some parts, and it might be stingy with us in some other parts. I will not remember anything except life’s and God’s generosity. These people did not know me, and I did not know them. And ever since then, I made an oath to myself. that anybody who is good at something, I will help them. as much as I can.

because those who helped me. had no benefit from me at all. And I became a presenter just like this. It was not one of my dreams, or in the plan, or anything. Interesting. -Okay. -Should I continue the story for you? Continue. Nice. I traveled to Italy. And I decided. between myself and I…. It is nice for someone to remember, isn’t it? -Of course. Remember the nice things, -Tell us about the story.

why not? I told you I did not want to come, Anas. I am comfortable and happy you are here, and we do not have a timeframe here. -Take your time. -We traveled to Italy, but I took a decision. I did not tell my parents about, of course. My brother was a little opposed. But my dad. told him, “No, if your sister wants to travel, she will.”. He told him, “You will leave her alone in Italy?” and whatnot. My dad….

That is why I always say the great ‘60s generations, like, “I trust my daughter.”. It was settled with one and a half words. I made 2 decisions. I abided by one and did not abide by the other one. I decided I would stay there for 2 years maximum. because when I saw people. who stayed abroad for long periods, their life. is hanging. They always have nostalgia for their country, and at the same time, they are comfortable where they are.

And when they go back to their country, they have nostalgia for…. I felt like they had a problem because. we had many people like that around us. So, I decided I did not want to live with this problem. I will work for 2 years in Italy. and go back to our country. I abided by this decision. because I stayed for a year and a half, so…. And I went back. The second decision. that I could not abide by was telling myself, “Mona, forget about love and this nonsense.

I am going on a mission and for work. I am going there to prove myself. and make my father proud. There is no falling in love.”. And I fell in love, And I fell in love, and he is my husband and my partner. This year, Anas…. We met in Italy, and it was the traditional beginning of any lasting love story. of not standing each other in the beginning.

By the way, these are the love stories that last. This is how it is done. I do not know where the match that happened went, but. I could not stand him, nor could he stand me. When I would see him, I would be like, “I saw this person today.”. You know, I could not stand him. And then, we became a group of friends. This group forced us to go to gatherings, talk, etc.

until we found ourselves, not forced, but wanting to see each other. We got married. And this year, Anas, I…. this year I will complete. 25 years with the man I fell in love with years ago. A quarter of a century. How amazing. From the decision I. did not abide by. You abided by the year and a half but did not abide by love.

God bless you. It is not easy these days. You know, I was talking to a friend yesterday? And she was asking me about love saying, “What do you think about. when you hear stories. of the man saying. that he wants to marry a girl from the moment he saw her?”. Okay? -We hear such stories a lot. -I do not get these people. -And sometimes… -I do not get them. And sometimes it works out for them, and they get married.

So, I told her, “Can I tell you something?”. Let us go back to logic, and probability. I told her, “Look, does it work when a person walking in the supermarket says. that they want to marry a girl they saw? Maybe 1 in a hundred thousand or 1 in ten thousand. The rest of them, she did not give him her number or thought about it.”. But now we are not talking about these stories. -I am talking about the success story now. -No, it is…. Look, Anas, I will agree with you for the first time in the analysis. Look, Anas, I will agree with you for the first time in the analysis.

-Okay, thank God. -I believe that there is a crush, -Okay, thank God. -I believe that there is a crush, -yes, and there is a spark, -Okay. but this is not love. A spark happens when you see somebody or somebody…. A spark happens as you feel something. But this is not love. Call it a crush or anything. -True. -Anything. But love, no, it is something else. And by the way, the people who did not live a real love story in their life.

have missed something very beautiful, great, and meaningful in life. If somebody lived in this life. and passed away without falling in love, they did not live at all. In my opinion or based on my experience. No, one of the most beautiful things God created in us is love. And there is love for the father and mother, there is love for work,

there is love for siblings, there is love based on trust, and there is the romantic love. that messes our minds up. -No, I am telling you about romantic love. -Yes. -This is… -No, I love God, the country, the society, and the people. I am telling you about the romantic love. Yes. -Yes. -No, love is beautiful. Some things can bury it, some things can waste it, but when God created love, he gave you a diamond. Keep it safe.

Or of course, sometimes it is not in our control. that love chances are lost, but who lived a love story will know. They will know that this feeling is. unmatched. Do you know what is nice about the other side. that does not say, “I liked a person” from the first moment, or like, “This is the one I am going to marry”? Stop with these things. These things happen but rarely. Okay. We are talking about reality and real life. Why do you…? You mentioned a nice example like. the point I was talking about yesterday,

which is that sometimes when you meet another person, you do not say from the first moment, “I will marry him,”. “This is my love,”. and “I know that he is the perfect man who…,” no. Do you know why it is nice? Because you started evaluating all the traits in him. besides him being a future husband or boyfriend. You are like, “Is he a good person? Is he a good colleague? Does he have values? Does he have manners. while dealing with the waiter? Does he have…? How does he treat his mother and father?”. You started evaluating. So, maybe in the beginning.

with your husband, you were like, “What is this?”. but then you started seeing how he is with people. in the group, and you said, -“Well, he is….” -Look, it was not a crush in the beginning. First, I will tell you why repulsion was there. And I think the differences we have…. Him and I are the opposite in everything, Anas. Like…. He loves things that are completely. different from the things I love. He cannot stand the things I love.

We are different. If you saw us in the beginning, you would think how these people. could stay together for 25 years? What seemed to me as a difference is. disrupting, I discovered that it might be a reason. for enjoyment and a life without routine. I never imagined I could watch Formula 1. What is this annoying thing? He just sits…. He would make me sit beside him and say, “Look”. I might not be enjoying it, but at least I am watching something new.

You know? We always live in a state of discovery. I tell him, “All right, listen to this song. Please. Listen to this beautiful meaning.”. My husband is not so romantic. He is affectionate and a great head of the household, but his nature is different. He is a practical man. He does not have this empathetic side, no. I tell him, “Please, listen to the meaning.”. I am happy that I make him discover things, and he is happy that he makes me discover things. Over the years, being alike might.

cause arguments or competition, but he loves different things in life, and I love different things in life. And we are not bothered by it. Lately, I have been to a place. We visited this place together, and then I went to this place alone for some reason. So, Umm Kulthum’s song was playing. where she was singing, “Where should I run away from my heart?

Our beautiful nights are everywhere. We filled it with hope. We filled it with love.”. It is a meaningful piece written by the poet Mohamed El Shennawi, and I think Abdel Wahab composed it. So, I found my tears rolling down. Flood. That was recent. A flood of emotions. So, I found myself holding the phone for no reason, and I texted him, “I love you,”. and I typed… you know that beating heart emoji?

I do not use it by the way. So, when I use it, I mean it. I do not…. I do not say anything that does not have a meaning, nor do I use emojis without a meaning. I mean it. So, the heart, you know? I felt like that beating heart was my heart. I swear to God. Do you know what his reply to me was? To tell you the difference. I texted, “I love you” and a heart that is. beating. He texted me. like. the most common sentence that is.

meaningless. He sent me, “I love you too”. with a number 2. I swear to God I was so mad that day. I was like, I am filled with emotions, and you text me “2”? I felt like my soul was filled with love. I know that his love is mutual, but our love languages are different. Here you go, I told you stories. -All right, about the… -that are very personal. But that is what is nice. -These stories… -Why would people know this?

Let them know. Let us know Mona a little more for once. Just once. What will you let us know at the end of the day? -10%? We will take it. -No, I do not mean that, but I mean that I feel like every person has. a very rich experience, but not all of us know how to tell it. But you are graceful, -But like… -and you express…. You said that your mind and emotions, are equally aligned. So, feel comfortable on the chair. Well, all right. -Okay. -Anyway, no offense if he saw this episode and got mad.

-Be comfortable. -No, but he knows. He knows we are different. I understand him. -You understand him. -Yes, do not worry, he and I are friends. And he understands you. True. You know what? I. guarantee, and I do not personally know him or know his name, that one of his love languages is acts of service. Helpful. Oh God! -Right? -Yes, of course. I am telling you. I understand this character. Sometimes we…. And your father, God rests his soul, I think was very helpful.

True. So, you searched for a husband. with the same love language. So, they say that we sometimes search for the love. that is familiar to us. Who is the first love in a woman’s life? Her father. Your first love. is your father. -True. -The first man you see, you are like, “What is this? What a great man!”. So, he represents many things. -True. -So, may God grant people a good father. so that the first role model would be a good example.

Yes, quality. True. -I am not… -You do not need it. I am not waiting for somebody to look at me or like me. -Yes, and you fill an empty gap. -So…. -No. -True. But this is scary. I was sitting with somebody once…. And I do not have girls. I have two boys. May God protect them. Amen, and keep…. Do you have girls? 3 girls. God bless them. He was saying that. you cannot guarantee anything in life. You cannot 100% prevent sexual harassment,

a bad word, True. your daughter making a mistake, her drinking, being good for nothing, or…. You do not know what will happen, but you can control one thing, which is how you can enable this girl in the house. to have healthy love, and let her know her value. and that she does not need a man for this. True. This is what your father did. True. And this is supposed to be an example for parents. Look at the result. Mona is the result with me today, and this is one example.

What happens when a father invests in his daughter? And even what he told your brother. at a time when it was not easy to say this. Yes. You are his sweetheart, and he let you go to Italy. And I was 20 years old. -I did not even turn 21. -He has to trust you blindly. -Yes. -that as a man, especially as a man, I trust this girl that she will not disappoint me. I prepared this girl for life. You know, Anas, when I told him that there was…?

I was very embarrassed. because I have never. had romantic relationships. I had many guys and girl friends, but they were all like brothers and sisters, you know? I am a person who lives life at full capacity, but all with pure emotions. I do not have secret relationships. So, I told him that. there is somebody who. wants to propose. I was extremely embarrassed. And I had told him, not my mother.

He told me, “Who?”. I told him that it was my colleague from Italy, and that if he wanted to ask about him and whatnot…. He told me, “No, I will ask you about him.”. We did not take half an hour in this sitting. He told me, “But Mona, I trust your mentality, and I know that. your decision will be right. Tell him to come.”.

And he came and proposed in the house. And it was a marriage that God blessed. Destiny, and the…. I am thankful to God for His blessing. I am. not giving credit to myself or him. I am giving credit to the timely circumstances. that helped to maintain this marriage. because it is not necessarily.

that any couple who gets separated, or their marriage fails that they have flaws. -True. -Sometimes the circumstances are not timely. I am definitely aware of this. that not everybody who got separated. did not know how to steer the wheel, no. Sometimes the winds do not blow. as the vessels wish. -It is not their fault. -True. So, no, I am very aware of this, and I am thankful to God for the blessing, and I am not criticizing. the people who did not complete their love experience or marriage.

Never. Mona, what does love mean to Mona? After that… according to what I see, you said that God granted you the feeling of love in this life, and I hope from God, and you know this, that your love is healthy, happy, and has positives more than the negatives and challenges that…. Otherwise, you would not stay. You are a strong person. I do not think you would stay for 25 years. if you were not happy. So, what is your own definition of love?

This is the first question, and then I have another one. First, love is different in the beginning. than in the middle, and then after the middle. Okay. Like…. Let us agree on this. The first love has. passion. that can fill the world. You cannot stand being. away from the person you love for 10 minutes. You cannot stand it. So, the idea of you or them traveling alone is annoying, even if it was the best trip in the world.

You know, you are like…. You cannot stand the food you eat without them. You want to eat…. This is the first stage. After this, adjustment takes place. This adjustment kills love for some people. if they did not modify. You have to. do this. resetting, and think like, “What is between us now?”. What is between us now is more than passion.

Maybe the passion is not there. He travels, and I travel. He eats alone, and I eat alone, it is fine, but some things between us replaced passion. There is a journey together. There are hard situations we overcame together. There are children. whom we would love to see grow with us. There is.

a question. I ask myself each time we are mad at each other. And I taught him this trick. “Mona…”. I would be mad at him then. “Mona, if time could go back…”, or “If you met your husband while you were single, would you have fallen for and married him?”. So, the answer is “Yes”. So, I decided that I have to move on. Move on through an admonition sitting, a fight, anything,

but I am regaining the choice. of not being forced to stay with him. No, I will choose him again. I will love him again. Lady said, “Why would I love again? What would I do with your love?”. No, I will love you again and I have my reasons. Okay. This is the second stage. The third stage, after the children finish their teenage years or are still there,

it becomes a very heavy burden. It becomes not only about adjustment. No, it becomes like, “What is this boredom?”. It is what they call the midlife crisis, for the man or the woman. What do we do in the midlife crisis? You get to an age where. you have two choices. It is either you leave.

everything, and choose your own happiness, and I still…. And this happens in the 40s. It happens for some people in their 50s, and some in their 40s. Midlife. So, you either say “No, I have had enough…”. Family responsibilities are heavy on the father and mother. No doubt. So, the man either chooses or searches. for a young girl to live with,

and enjoy the feeling of his masculinity. and infatuation and whatnot, and he lives new stories, or the woman says that she will undergo plastic surgeries. and live her life as she cannot stand serving and appeasing him. It is a hard period for all people for sure. We are talking about social psychology. And you can decide when you ask yourself, “Would I like to spend the rest of my life with this person?”.

“When I am going to die, would I want to be with him? Or would I want to be with somebody else or alone?”. The answer will decide. Because somebody could say, “No, I am not… It does not matter to me. I do not care. On the contrary, I would walk away. happily if I got rid of him”. This is an example of some cases. But for the people who ask themselves this question. and find the answer,

"Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life”, or “Die with this person”, when this is the answer, you reach a level of maturity where. there are no fights as they decrease. Or the admonition, arguments, and blame become different. You become mature, and you know that all of this will pass. So, instead of being mad for hours, they become minutes,

and instead of being for days, they become. half of the day. because you now understand. You know the end of the book. I will stay with this person. So, it is better if we would stay happy together. What is this? I am not a relationship expert, Anas. What is going on? -You know? -No, do not let this episode go live. Mona, honestly…. Do not let this episode go live. What is this? What am I saying? You know, I swear I do not compliment, and if you did not realize this, you will,

it is one of the best answers about love. Really? And I have done more than 150 episodes. And I have done more than 150 episodes. This is probably the most beneficial thing for people. that I heard that could make them understand. that I heard that could make them understand. that love, the first stage is not the same as the third stage. because we live. in the world of TikTok and Social Media. These cute videos that we watch. make your girls or other girls feel like….

And we did not say that they are not nice. They are nice, but you have to be aware that this is the first stage. There is something that you…. The second word that you said. I did not forget. You said, “Adjustment”. Adjustment happens in the second stage. I adjusted to the person’s routine. I adjusted to their life. So, this excitement that I have. changed, and if I do not do this recalibration, I would be like, “No, I miss the old days and I cannot stand this”. “No, I want the excitement”.

So, you destroy this man, and you go search for a new man with new excitement. And you get bored of the second one and search for new excitement. Regarding what you were saying about. the youth who sees pictures and whatnot, there is a book written by a Canadian author called, “The Banality System”. It is wonderful, Anas. Really? -Yes. When I… -I will read it. You know, when I understood the idea of the book, I thought that this book solved a problem bothering me. Nice. Yes. He said that the world now…. There are surely many chapters.

related to banality in. content, economy, and industry. He says that the world is now…. Banal. No, he is not only saying that the world is banal. He is saying that. there is a tendency towards banal making. Banal making in content, and banal making in economy…. And for example, he sees incomprehensible rising economics.

Stocks going up and down and nobody knows what this is. The…. Nobody really understands. Anyhow, he is talking about banality-making. He says that it is like there is a systematic plan. to eliminate wise, intellectual, philosophical, and true academic people, and replace them with banal people to teach us how to live life.

Mocking everything. Making fun of everything. If I am making fun of my dad or mom. or my teacher and whatnot, this is fun and cool. The book is…. You know, it made me feel that I was angry at this. because of course, while I was raising my children, I could see. I could see this. And I saw the amount of mockery at values.

-Whenever you talk about a value, -Yes. it gets banalized and made to seem like it is from the Stone Age. although values never perish like. or renew such as energy, matter, and such. Nobility does not perish. Justice does not perish. Compassion does not perish. Sympathy does not perish. Knowledge does not perish.

And yet I keep belittling these things! Not all values belong in the past, we should talk about values in the present. When I talk about values in the past. and mention examples from the past, youngsters do not like the past, -which will be counterproductive, and it is over... -True. No, you should talk about the importance of values today. The importance of values, the importance of being sympathetic, the importance of being honest, being honest and honorable,

these are important today. The book of making banality is one of the things…. Would you like to laugh? -Yes. -I am almost sure about this, but it is said that TikTok in China, because it is a Chinese application, the content of TikTok in China differs from the rest of the world. They do not want their children to watch banality. Operationally, and we can call this the electronic war,

they want to export banality. and spread dancing and silliness across the world. so, people would remain shallow and silly, while their children will be educated. because TikTok has educational content. Yes. It just depends on what you like to watch. -Not to mention, the algorithm. -If I let TikTok…. -Exactly. -Who knows the algorithm of any application in the world? Banality is nice, funny, makes one happy, passes time, and makes one forget their sadness,

-but it is only a part of life that is not full of banality. -True. True. So far, we have talked about love. realistically and nicely and we also spoke about the stages of love. In your view, I will not call it an equation but a priority. or one of the most important elements. that keep marriage nowadays happy and healthy, what is one of the most important things?

That boys and girls. should be raised to handle responsibility. in the first place. because love is one thing and married life is another. If your shoulders cannot carry the responsibility, do not get married. You have to raise your children to take responsibility, bear the difficulties of life, and accept that they will face problems and traumas,

but they will pass. Otherwise, they would act like children in the marriage. They will fight, separate, divorce, walk away, and leave each other. Married life is a project that requires a lot of effort, an emotional and intellectual effort, especially these days. If you are not qualified, which really bothers me…. We raise our children to be. educated and confident, and to work, succeed, and enjoy life,

but we should also raise them to be responsible. If you do not raise your son or daughter to take responsibility, you must understand that they will. encounter issues in the relationship. because a relationship is a responsibility. True. It goes from a person who says, “Where is the house key?”. To, “How will we provide for the children?”. To a financial disaster, “We are broke.”. If you are not responsible,

you will run away. Even behind the camera Mona, you mentioned a point about banality. and how we magnify things sometimes like, it is a silly thing, but it blows up. Yes. Tell me more. A football match, you find two or three nationalities or people fighting. aggressively, you know?

I am not just talking about. normal football conflict, but it extends to national dignity. It is a sport people! A post that a stupid person writes, a crazy person writes, or an immoral person writes. that turns into a fiery matter. The irony is that every person who participated. in the fight and fueled the fire,

does not even know that we are…. They do not know our history as a population. They do not know the actual history, not the one written in numbers like, this happened on this day, this year. The emotional history. that we share together and with other populations. Our emotional history in the Arab area. is bigger and deeper than anyone can imagine. If you mention any time period,

I would tell you an amazing story. between the populations. We speak one language; can you not feel each other? I bet you, Anas, if you mention any time period, I would tell you a great story. about the love shared between the populations. Those who do not know this, spread hate. Those who know this, remain calm. and even if there is something silly,

they respond reasonably and appreciatively. I will tell you a story, so, I can show you. that love between the populations is cumulated. and goes deeper than. a displayed symbol or spoken words. In Egypt, in the Nile Valley, Morocco is far from us in distance.

So, when the pilgrims from Morocco used to come, the Egyptians are a very friendly people. and they used to welcome Moroccan travelers. They used to come from Morocco or Andalusia. on a pilgrimage to Hejaz, and they used to stop to rest the caravan. They would rest and drink because. they were treated as guests. although their visit was not to Egypt, but to Hejaz. They were going on a pilgrimage, but they rested in Egypt because it was on the way.

Something happened that many people do not know. History did not dot on it much, but I, as Mona, doted on it very much. In the year 500 and something, 514 before or after, the pilgrimage caravans from Morocco travelling to Hejaz. were getting intercepted by bandits. and they were robbed, ransacked, and killed.

When they travelled by land, the caravans were robbed, and the people killed. When they travelled by sea, the Crusaders took them as prisoners. So, the jurist Ibn Rushd made a very bold decision. and he asked for the opinion. of all religious scholars that they need to ban pilgrimaging. because they were. encountering destruction and death.

The Moroccans. were banned from pilgrimaging. for how many years Anas? How many years do you think? 80 years. Oh my! If you remember at the time, there were the Crusades. It was a very difficult time.

Who was upset? The Egyptians. who had nothing to do with it, they were just on the road. The Moroccans usually went from their beautiful country to Hejaz. in order to visit the Holy Kaaba, but they passed by the Egyptians. When the ban was rendered null, the Egyptians recognized. the first delegation or the first pilgrimage caravan. Pilgrimage was banned for 80 years,

they did not pass by for 80 years. so this was a different generation, but they felt a deep longing that. the Moroccans were not coming. With the first pilgrimage caravan, the Egyptians met them outside of Cairo, and they carried torches to greet. and told them, “We missed you.”. There was no trade, economic benefits, or anything. Egypt was an agricultural country, as you know.

There was a very famous Sufi, the amazing Abu al-Hasan al-Shushtari. He wrote a poem when he saw the troches approaching, the light approaching as if it were coming from Hejaz. He wrote, “The moon came to us.”. He felt like the pilgrimage came to them. instead of them going. In honor of the Moroccan delegation, the Egyptians... Remember these are not governmental decisions, but just people.

Egyptians used to make the Kaaba clothing. and gift it to Hejaz. to place it on the Kaaba at time of pilgrimage. In honor of the Moroccan delegation, they told them, “You will take the Kaaba clothing with you.”. From that day, it became a yearly tradition. The Kaaba clothing only travels with the Moroccan. delegation from Egypt to Hejaz.

Do not tell me this is ink on paper. Do not tell me these are decisions. This is communication between areas. and populations devoid of commands. Now, when someone says something naive, how can it overshadow this accumulation of love? It is terrifying that you overlook the value of love. and attack with your sword unsheathed. in an event of conflict, it is very difficult.

By the way, Abu al-Hasan al-Shushtari. is the one who wrote a very famous song here in the Gulf. The song goes, “A little Sheikh from the land of Meknes. in the middle of the markets singing.”. “I do not intervene in matters of people, -and people do not intervene in mine.” -“And people do not intervene in mine.”. “What do I care, my friend, about the whole creation?”. “Just do good and you will be saved.

and follow the people of the hidden truth.”. “Do not say a word, oh my son,”. “unless it is sincere.”. “Take my words and write them down”. on paper he means, “as an amulet from me.”. “I do not intervene in matters of people, -and people do not intervene in mine.” -“And people do not intervene in mine.”. Abu al-Hasan al-Shushtari. died in Egypt and was buried in Egypt near Damietta. because after he pilgrimaged, he liked the land and its people.

He lived there and preserved. his Sufism and great poetry. He is buried in Egypt with love, and in peace. Mona, why do you do what you do? What is the purpose. because you might have reached a point where you said, “I do not need to work anymore. Why should I tire myself?”. “Why should I exhaust myself?”. “Why should I film, edit, and research? It is a lot of work.”. So, why do you do what you do?

I will give you an answer. that I have discovered in parts recently, -which explained the matter to me. -Okay. People are different kinds. and each one has a job that is different from their hobby. The happiest people. are the ones who have a career in their hobby. Those are lucky and I consider myself lucky.

I love my job, Anas, and I respect it, which is more important. For me, media is not a bridge to something else, like it is not a ladder to something else. Some people are in the media because they want to act, so, they are like, “I will become a presenter then move to acting.”. Some people are in media for business, they want to start a business. There is nothing wrong with those people and I appreciate them. Some people are in the media for politics. and they wish to run for the upcoming elections.

I respect and love the media, and I think the media in itself has a purpose and a message. even if I were presenting a light segment. My job is that when I present something to you, I will not waste your time. When you laugh and feel happy, there should not be any banality. When I present you with a musical segment, you should enjoy it.

It is a responsibility, which you handle well and that is really nice. It is a responsibility. One has so many eyes watching and many ears listening, which is a responsibility in itself. Some people use the media for fame like, “I will appear and recite someone else’s words.”. While others are like, “Am I deflating?”. As you said, “In these 10 minutes that they give me,”. “am I respecting the 10 minutes.

or the hour that the audience is sparing me?”. “Did I appreciate that this person. gave me some time out of their 24 hours a day?”. That is a responsibility. I do not claim that I present the Goddess Lawadessa, but I can present a small cultural segment, a musical segment, or a comedic segment. For any segment I present, I want to make sure of several things. One, it does not hurt you. It does not hurt you intellectually or mentally as a viewer.

Two, it adds value to your time. Three, maximum effort was put into it. Even if it did not turn out nice, the truth is that a lot of effort was spent on it. That it is enough or at least it does not leave your conscious. bothered or upset. From what I read, women’s rights are very important to you, right? Do you think we have reached in the world.

a state of equality between men’s and women’s rights? I will talk about the Arab World. The Arab World has a very large gap. and that is my personal opinion. You cannot help women. when you do not have enough female lawyers. among the people who dictate laws.

You cannot rise when you do not have enough female jurists. Do not forget that men issue laws, fatwas, and many regulations. I am not saying they are unfair or misogynist, but they do not understand things from their perspective. God created him... He was never pregnant or raised children, he was never prevented from having custody. until the child decided to come back,

he never nursed a sick child, and he never felt how awful women feel. when they are sexually harassed at work or in transportation. He never lived any of these. He never lived them, which means he is limited. As long as we do not have enough women in law, legislation, and jurisprudence, we will always have a terrible crisis in improving women’s situation.

and in turn, improving mothers’ situation. Do you know that there are studies that dictate. that women are more up to date than men? She understands updates faster than men. because she is in constant contact with children, so she witnesses the changes. She is the first to know what is new in education, what is new in technology, and what is new in language.

because she is closer to children. Her being is in contact with daily details even while cooking, so, she knows how to keep herself up to date as they say. In Arabic it is…. -Up to date. -Up to date, indeed. Populations rise when a large number of women. participate in decision-making. They should be present.

It should not be about wanting to. appear prestigious to neighboring countries. so, you bring many women and grant them seats. No, they should be qualified women. I am talking about Egypt and the Arab World, which I am sure need this. Women should truly be a part of decision-making, law-making, and the vision for the future. This helps nations rise, and studies were conducted about it. because women are more imaginative.

and they are more able to…. I do not want to say maneuver, but bluff with life. They are able to see matters from. different sides more than men can. I am not being biased; these are scientific facts. I believe nations that wish to advance and in our Arab World, we should be invested in…. I am sorry, and female scientists.

Scientists. One of the main objectives of our program. is to encourage female scientists and researchers. Because firstly, they are oppressed. although their vision of science offers the world different angles. As I said, our minds operate in a different manner, which is a bonus. But they are oppressed. because a researcher who works in the department of science, medicine, or any scientific congregation,

will not be able to pursue a master’s degree, or Ph.D, complete her research, or stay in the factory. Men are usually the ones who remain. because her children are at home. and she wants to return home to them. We do not actually have work environments that support women. so, her worry, effort, and hard work are twice as hard. The chances of her giving up halfway.

are greater than of her proceeding. I will say it again, we need to invest in female scientists and researchers, female jurists, and women in law. We should have enough of these in the Arab World. After that, what can we say? We will find balanced laws. that are considerate of women.

and offer a part of the solution to their problems, which men do not know because they have never experienced them. You know, one of my friends, may God keep him, said to me... I was talking about board committees. in governmental and non-governmental establishments. There are many board members or board committees. He said, “Let us say there are 10 members in each committee.”. “When they place one woman,

it is a symbol that they just did it.”. “When they place two women, they are a minority. No matter what they say, they are a minority.”. “If you place three women at least, you have made a change.”. -Correct. -That is what we need. When I am chosen. or nominate to be a part of a judging committee. on any show, establishment, or forum to be a member,

the first question I ask is, “Are you bringing me. because you need a woman on the committee”. “or is it because you believe that my mind. is valuable to the committee?”. They explain the idea of wanting to have diversity, I am sure you are familiar with this play. I will not participate if they do not think that I add value. If they seek my thoughts. in full confidence and respect for myself as a woman,

they are welcome. -If they want me there just to sit, -Just for appearances. -then it is a no, thank you. -True. -No, thank you. -True. May God ease it. Mona, if…. you have one lesson you can teach to children in the world, you can only teach them one lesson, which lesson would it be? One thing in life.

Two things, -can they be two things? -Do we have a mediation? -Two things. -Go ahead. The value of education. and mercy. Nice. I like this mediation. Leave it, I do not remember it. Let us ask a nice question. I will give one of these to you and your daughters. -Oh my! -This is our game, and you will enjoy it, Mona. -My daughters love you very much, Anas. -May God keep them and keep all of you.

By the way, they are the ones who encouraged me to come. Thank you, you will not regret it. -“Oh, #ABtalks, yes!” -Mix them for me. Just like playing cards? -Just like playing cards. -Okay. -Okay, I will only take one. -Okay. The first one let us see. Okay, throw this. -This defines the way you should answer so throw it. -Okay. Okay.

‘Flip,’ I am supposed to answer, and the question is…. Give them to me. No, we will both answer since this is your interview. What is your best childhood memory? The best memory... I will tell you two memories, one from childhood and one from adulthood.

When we used to gather on Fridays, we used to come home from school on Thursdays. dreaming of going out on Friday. We used to stay up, then wake up the next day. and go out into the open to have a barbecue. My parents would be there with their friends and their children. I cannot explain why it was nice. As I have explained it to my children, it was full of stories and tales that adults told the children,

our parents played with us, we played with children our age and the adults, and the barbecue sometimes burnt, but we still ate it. There is nothing brilliant about them, but these gatherings are like a valuable asset for me, a happy childhood. We used to return home exhausted.

and clean up because we had school the following day. We used to sleep early and have the best dreams, which fueled the new day. The best memory in adulthood. I always say that I have three girls and two of them are twins. When I was in the hospital, after I woke up from anesthesia, they brought me this gift.

and I swear it felt like they were bringing me. jewels, diamonds, sapphires, and pearls. They brought me Laila and Nada. and at the same time, my daughter, Mona, was three and a half years old, she had just come back from kindergarten at the same time, so, all three of them came through the door at the same time. I swear it was more beautiful than Ali Baba’s grotto,

I hugged all three, the twins, and Mona in the middle, with tears streaming down my face. I did not know if they were tears of gratitude, joy, disbelief, or tears that entailed something like, “God, what is this amazing gift? What is this?”. I always say that this scene. is one of the most beautiful moments in my life. When I remember. Mona was upon returning from kindergarten….

Because before they were born, I used to give her gifts. She was really small when I was pregnant, she was not even three yet. I used to give her gifts and say, “This is from Laila and Nada.”. I used to tell her that they loved her, and she would have a new doll as a gift from them. I was scared that there would be a reasonable. jealousy among siblings. So, I used to give her gifts and say, “This is from Laila and Nada.”. She walked in and I remember her beautiful eyes and smile,

she walked in happily with the twins. I thought that God had brought me something…. I remember it in slow motion now, Anas. Do you know when a director uses slow motion and zooms in? What is this amazing gift? It is one of God’s greatest gifts, and a moment I will never forget. The tears streamed and did not stop.

This is one of the most beautiful pictures, I empathize with you. -You have empathized finally. -Yes, honestly. How amazing is God, -what a beautiful gesture. -I will tell you something, one of God’s blessings is that. you are able to witness His blessings. What is the most difficult time you have experienced? I believe if we were to talk professionally,

there were some very difficult times, especially when I had to present a daily political show. Personally though, the most difficult time for any working mother. is when her children are young, and she is a working mother. who is insistent on success and hard work. For her, work is not just a job. or she just works to get paid. She is motivated to succeed and passionate about her job.

The time when her children are young. up until they turn 16 or 17 years old, it is a very difficult stage. Do you mean the balance between work and home? No man can estimate how difficult pregnancy is. and how difficult these years are for us. That is why I always respect…. I say that the person I respect the most. is a working or a successful mother.

Of course, a mother who is truly a mother. and not a working mother who neglects her children. I am talking about a mother who takes her job seriously. and her children seriously, which is very difficult. I did not travel at all for over 14 years. It was impossible, no matter what the trip entailed. whether the greatest honoring or whatever, I could not. I was either at work or at home and I still am. But when the children grew up a little,

it was possible for me to have some time to do other things. When they are young, you cannot... I do not mean you, as Anas. Men do not know the feeling when you are sleeping away. and the children are at home, how you would want to make sure that they are covered well, if they had done their homework, or how bad is the temperature of the sick one. This is a feeling that men do not experience. The most difficult time.

for a working mother regardless of her career. whether she is a doctor, media person, engineer, businesswoman, or whatever. I do not discriminate nor eliminate any working mother. She is a woman who takes both her work and children seriously, which is as close as one can get to an impossible mission. Believe me, women who went through it were. very exhausted and stressed,

and those who feel like that they may not be able to work. Once, a fellow journalist said to me, “What is this solitude you are living?”. “You do not attend…”. I did not go out at all. during the phase when my children. were young until they turned 14 years old, I did not do anything. I could not answer any.

invitations, conferences, or anything like, “Thank you, but it is not possible.”. If I had 5 minutes free, I would be either at home with the children. or at work with my amazing team whom I love very much, and I send them my regards. Being a working mother is a very difficult mission. All right Mona, who makes your heart ache each time you remember them?

Ache? Regarding my loved ones, my heart never aches. When I remember them, I have to remember them with positive emotions. When I remember my grandmother, I smile and pray for her. I have a firm conviction. that the kindness of my grandmother. lives on in my children and me. My grandfather’s smile lives on.

So, I talk to them and pray for them. I always say, “You did a great job.”. I remember my loved ones with happiness. no matter how much I miss them, but I have to say, “You did a great job.”. “The good things that you had still live on.”. My heart aches for strangers.

and stories that occur in my surroundings. For example, without mentioning names, a person was accused in a case, and I knew he was innocent. He was waiting for the verdict, and he was sure that he was going to be declared innocent, but he passed away before the verdict. My heart aches for such people. I feel like life deprived him of this moment, which he sought. Life did not give him this moment. and my heart aches for such things.

When did your father pass away? How old were you? Over 10 years ago, he got to see his grandchildren. -Over 10 years? -Yes. Your father did not see the last 10 years. and he is very dear to you. If your father. was outside right now.

and you get to have a few minutes with him, what would you tell him? I would hug him; I would not say anything. Everything would be conveyed in the hug. That is for sure. I want to tell you something, when it comes to the idea of leaving this world,

I believe in the continuity of souls. Loss is not hindering for me. I express longing in different ways. Longing is to do something he loved. Longing is that I never disappoint him. Longing is preserving things.

he had embedded in me. This expresses lasting love; thus, he exists. It is not denial or a state of…. -I understand you. -It is not at all. I have so much love to the point... I am not only talking about my father. but also about my grandparents whom I love very much. I deal with life as if they were still here.

because I believe that they are here. in one form or another. So, they are here because they are really here. What do you wish for your daughters? I wish for them to be happy in their lives.

I wish for them to be happy in their lives, not be fragile, and not let banality get to them as we…. I am sure they were affected as have I, but I would love them to be happy, strong, and support each other, which they already do. May God protect and keep them.

These are simple wishes, but they are the grandest wishes in the world. If you ask me what my wish is, I would say protection and health. They seem like fleeting and cliché words, but for me, they are the greatest wish. When someone is going on a pilgrimage, they ask me, “What do you wish for?”. I say, “Pray for me. and my children to have protection and health.”. -Yes. -Is there anything greater? Indeed. I wish them simple wishes, but they have a lasting effect.

If your daughters, Mona, may God grant you a long life, but after you and I are gone. and life is both difficult and beautiful at times, but from time to time, they go on YouTube, click this video, skip forward to this segment, and hit play, what are they supposed to hear from their mother? The truth is I will not wait for them to hear. something from their mother on the television.

I will wait for them to remember what I used to tell them at home. Whenever I have a good and inspiring episode, the first thing I do when I go home is tell them about it like, “Today, the guest was an incredible young man. He did this and that.”. I do not wait for them to see it on television. Whatever I think is inspiring or touching, I have to tell my children about it otherwise whom am I going to tell? If I tell viewers about it, why would I not tell my children?

I tell them in my own way, which is a mother’s way outside an interview, “Yesterday, we had an amazing guest.”. “Imagine that he did 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.”. I definitely do not want them to watch me on television. I want them to remember. what I used to tell them, the feelings I relayed to them, and the insistence I had. I am a very persistent mother.

I am persistent like, “Do this and do that.”. I want them to remember what their mother. used to do with a devotion that bored them. I want them to understand why I bored them with it. because I wanted to make sure that they received the message. A hypothetical question, if we take Mona’s heart.

Yes. and place it in front of Mona, what would Mona’s heart say to Mona? It would not say anything, it would... First of all, it would not be red, although I love colors so much. It would be made of glass.

Do you know the magical crystal that is made of glass? It would be shaped like a heart though and emit light. -A glass like this? -Do you know when a fortuneteller... Yes, a fortuneteller. But it is shaped like a heart, you know? It is emitting light not a red thing, all right? It would just shed light. -It would not speak, just shed light. -Is there no…. It would shed light on me, on others, on a person who is walking in the street; It would just shed light.

Okay. Mona, if God gave you the blessing that on your last day in life. while on your deathbed, your daughters, and their children, your husband, and the people you love are around you, and God gave you the blessing of saying a few words. before you leave since you have completed your mission, -what do you think you would tell them? -I would not say anything, I would just hold their hands. I am a hugger.

I am a person who hugs people and pats them, that is my love language. I would just touch them. You reminded me of the hug you gave your three girls. when they walked in on you. Yes, there are things…. I always feel like touching says something.

There is no scientific study that dictates it, but I know... Anas, I swear to God when you were a child, when your mother used to pat you, there is something... Something happens; it is not just a gesture. There is something, but I do not know what it is, energy, waves, or something that increases a certain hormone. I do not know the scientific explanation.

I understand that when someone grabs your shoulder like that, your heart palpitates. I know when you entwine hands with the one you love, the world changes color. When you sit beside a relative or a son. and you do this to them without an occasion, you are reconnecting the relationship. and you do not have to say it by the way. Each touch has a meaning, and the meaning is conveyed.

If it were love, it would be conveyed. If it were blame, it is conveyed. If it were longing, it is conveyed. Touch has an incredible ability to convey meaning. more than speech and in a faster way. Not all people are able to talk. You might be a very loving person, but you do not have the ability to express, which is nothing to be ashamed of. Not everyone is able to express. When you place your hand on someone, it conveys everything.

When you grab your mother’s hand without saying anything, she would know that you love and support her. Are you ready? -I am ready. -Just one last question. ‘Mona’ in one word. That is very difficult, what am I supposed to say? Summarize the person in front of me. One word?

Devotion. I do not mean it any other way, devotion. I am devoted to everything I do and will do. -Nice. -At work, you will find devotion. At home, you will find devotion. In feelings, you will find devotion. In thoughts, you will find devotion. In helping others, you will find…. Anything I do, I do with exhausting devotion.

If I cook, I cook with devotion. I would never cook mechanically with oil and such. You would find me…. -From your heart. -Yes, if I want to tidy up, I do it with devotion. I think this might summarize it. Thank you. You are welcome. Thank you.