For me, Hoda was and always will be a wonderful person.
I met her at a devotional gathering of the Bahá’í Institute. When I saw her for the first time, I felt her smile, her affection toward others.
She passed on her joy to me, her optimism about life, and her ability to enjoy every moment. From that moment on, we became friends and shared many good and happy times—also because we often ran into each other when picking up our children from school.
She was a woman with many values: love, joy, helpfulness, and a deep sense of protection—especially for her family—and she helped everyone around her as much as she could.
When she left this earthly world, she left an unforgettable mark in the heart of everyone who shared even a moment with her, or who simply got to know her through her gaze, her smile, her joy.
She was a very determined, generous, kind, and humble woman.
What stood out the most to me about her was her acceptance—that acceptance of God’s will. Accepting everything He had destined for her, with such willpower and joy that it seemed as though nothing bad was happening.
That is what I most admire about her.
So I say: Fly, fly, Hoda, but never stop smiling.
And I love you very much, Hoda.