With love comes great sacrifice, by Yara Zalzal

Beirut port explosion. Buildings were brought to ruins, streets were unrecognizable, and an entire city was withdrawn of its life. The entire nation was in mourning and fingers were pointed at politicians for having committed this heinous crime. Leila, a girl in her mid-twenties, was lucky to have had a narrow escape from the fate that so many were doomed to face: death.

The country became rotten. Many young people had no choice but to leave toward brighter horizons. They travelled in the worst of circumstances, to build a life for themselves, one they had long thought they could have in Lebanon. Shattered dreams did not drive everyone away. Leila was one of those who stayed. She made it a point to do so for numerous reasons, and her resilience served as an example for many people who admired her dedication to and perseverance in helping others.

Ego aside, heart full of love to give, she always put others’ needs before her own. Leila still lived with her parents, with Frollo and Diego, the cats and, Jelena, the dog. Both her parents were sick, as her dad was a stroke survivor and had difficulties functioning, and her mom had just undergone her last chemotherapy session, after a long battle with cancer. Her days started at dawn, where she would rush to the neighboring streets to feed the strays of her area. They loved her, and it was reciprocal. Work was the next item on the list of her daily routine. She would go to the office, work hard for more than ten hours a day, attend meetings, and then come back home to her parents and pets. She was their joy and they were hers.

The idea of starting a new life elsewhere, haunted her thoughts day and night. She turned down a letter of acceptance from the University of Cambridge, as well as a job at a French nonprofit. How could she leave all her loved ones behind? How would they survive without her? How would she forgive herself if she left? This is a story of love, and with love comes sacrifice.