Sealed With Love: Yara Alnamlah And Her Mother, Amani Al-Ayed, Exchange Heartfelt Letters

The Saudi beauty influencer, content creator and student of architecture credits her mother with giving her the determination and perseverance to realise and achieve her dreams…

The bond between a mother and daughter is a magical connection that is unique to every one of us, but sometimes, life gets in the way of expressing how inspired we are by each other. To celebrate Mother’s Day, Harper’s Bazaar Saudi asked six women to write letters of love to give thanks…

Amani Al-Ayed to her daughter, Yara Alnamlah…

Not only are you my daughter, but you are my sister and my best friend. Your presence by my side gives me strength and makes me feel safe – you are the source of my happiness and the light of my life. As my daughter, you provide me with a youthful spirit and the vitality for my future. Words cannot express how proud I am of all you have accomplished, and you, Yara, are my greatest achievement. I always thank God for the blessing of having you and your sister, Joud, and I’m thankful that you have each other as sisters, as I grew up among four brothers.

I love how we’ve become the closest of friends through a relationship that is based on dialogue and respect; that is inspired by harmony and the shared ideas that bring us closer given our work as architecture student and interior designer, and I am amazed by your passion for art and creativity. Nothing compares to your composure and the belief in yourself and your potential, while faithfully believing in God’s vision for your life.

I always recall my immense feelings of pride when you were the first Saudi woman to stand on stage during the Kingdom’s National Epic art and history show, when you shone on the Janadriyah Theatre in front of the audience, including the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. I thank you for making your parents so proud, you were our source of joy – standing in front of the whole world. I pray to God for the best for you – always and forever.

Yara Alnamlah and her mother, Amani Al-Ayed

Yara Alnamlah To Her Mother, Amani Al-Ayed…

You are my soul, my home, my wealth and nourishment, my refuge and comfort, my hope, my faith – you are my whole being. You have influenced my personality since I was a child, instilled in me a deep sense of loving life, and taught me how to interact with others – no matter how challenging. You are behind every unique trait that makes me who I am today – my greatest strengths and my determination. You championed me in my educational and career journeys and even now, in all that I aspire to do.

Whenever I need to talk, you are there right beside me – you know me inside out. My life is an open book when I am with you because you are my best friend and the dearest person to me on this earth. Calling you my soulmate doesn’t do our connection justice – you are part of me. I am inspired by your determination and persistence, you have taught me not to depend on others and I have always eagerly anticipated seeing the great delight and pride on your face with every accomplishment I achieve, which motivates me to achieve even more. 

My memories with you and our family are beautiful, with you always present in every important step I’ve taken. I thank you for standing by me through my moments of weakness as well as those of strength. I thank you for raising me so well to be a good person; you are the reason for who I am today. You have been a compassionate mother to me and my sister Joud, and I pray to God that I shall keep making you proud.

As part of the series, Harper’s Bazaar Saudi also asked Reema Al-Shubaily and her Mother, Aseel Al Zamil, along with Ghalia Mahmoudi and Najla Zaini to each share letters of their own.

Photography: Abdullah Al Musharraf and Haneen Majdy

From Harper’s Bazaar Saudi March 2021 issue