By Fatma Saeed Al Falasi
ABU DHABI — I had been to many places when I was a child, but there is one specific place that hides very affectionate memories of my childhood. It was the place that brought the whole family together, it was also a place that changed through the years, but the same smell still lingers around the walls of the room until today.
We would all gather, and sit around one huge dining table. My father talked about his day at work and how well his business was going; my mother made sure we sat properly, ate properly, and talked properly.
We celebrated every single birthday, anniversary, and event in this same room located in our cozy and warm two-story villa in the middle of a new neighborhood with very few families living in it.
I loved this room so much as a child and I love it even more as an adult. It speaks to me all the sweet memories of our very loving and happy family.
After my mom passed away unexpectedly, our family was in shock, and all the joy that she helped build in this family, was revoked.
Through these depressing years, this room had turned from a dining room into a playing room then a house salon, then a gym, then an empty room, then surprisingly, my room.
I spent most of my days in my room because it was the only place that reminded me of the delightful days our family had.
Fortunately, our heartache started to heal and the rest of the family continued to stick together, despite all the other complications that we had.
The room, now my room, held our family together.
This story was originally published on Sept. 19, 2016. It was re-uploaded on Dec. 31, 2020. The photo that accompanied this story was lost due to the loss of the domain name.
