The Story of Jamila
When I first reached out to Arab Woman Today (AWT), I was on the brink of marriage, but instead of excitement, I felt fear, hesitation, and an overwhelming sense of rejection. Deep inside, I didn’t want to get married. I couldn’t understand why I felt so paralyzed by something that should have been joyful. During my sessions, my counselor helped me uncover the roots of these fears, roots that stretched back to my childhood.
My father had been largely absent, leaving my mother to carry the weight of family responsibilities, education, and finances. She often shared her own struggles and sadness about marriage with me, and without realizing it, I had absorbed her pain as my own. Additionally, I had ended a long-term love story with someone I truly cared for, a decision that seemed irrational even to me at the time. My counselor helped me see the connection: that young man resembled my father in many ways, and the fear I had carried for years had unconsciously influenced my choices.
Through my sessions, I began to understand that my fears weren’t about marriage itself, they were about the echoes of my parents’ relationship and my unresolved feelings toward my father. I learned how to confront these fears directly, examining the facts and rejecting the lies my mind had believed for so long. I discovered how to separate my own experiences from my mother’s story, understanding that her pain was not mine to carry.
AWT guided me in building a new perspective on love and partnership. I learned to celebrate the positive qualities of my partner, to envision a future together without letting my past dictate my choices. I set healthy boundaries with my mother, breaking free from the emotional union that had once fueled my anxieties. I asked God to help me forgive my father, realizing that only by releasing resentment could I embrace love fully.
I also learned to reconnect with God in a deeper way, understanding Him as my heavenly Father. This relationship gave me the security and confidence I had been missing, filling the void left by my earthly father’s absence. I discovered the difference between role and value, rights and duties, and learned how to build a home rooted in self-confidence, love, and mutual respect rather than fear or selfishness.
By the end of my sessions, I was no longer imprisoned by the anxieties of my past. I had the tools to manage my thoughts and emotions, to approach marriage with a balanced heart, and to step into my new life with clarity and joy. I felt empowered to make decisions for myself, to honor my own needs, and to embrace a future that reflected hope, faith, and love.
AWT didn’t just help me prepare for marriage, they helped me reclaim my life, my trust, and my confidence. Today, I can say with certainty that I am ready to love fully, build a home with my partner, and walk into the next chapter of my life free from the shadows of the past.