“To a Mother, Even a Monkey Is a Gazelle” (Palestinian–Jordanian dialect proverb) There was a young man named Sami who had been married for a year. His wife, Lynn, was a kind and thoughtful woman. Like anyone else, she had her strengths and her flaws. But Sami’s mother believed her son was absolutely perfect. If Sami forgot to buy something for the house, she’d say, “He must be busy.” If he came home an hour late, she’d say, “Traffic must have been terrible.” But if Lynn made even the smallest mistake, it became a huge issue. One day, Lynn forgot to add salt to the rice. Sami’s mother frowned and said, “Sweetheart… this isn’t even proper cooking. Don’t you know how to make anything?” Two days later, Sami decided to make coffee. By mistake, he put salt instead of sugar, and the coffee boiled over, making a mess all over the stove. His mother drank it anyway and simply said, “It’s okay… everyone makes mistakes.” Lynn just smiled and didn’t say a word. A few weeks later, the whole family gathered for lunch. Sami was carrying a tray of juice when he tripped and spilled it everywhere. His mother rushed over and said, “Are you okay, my dear? That rug needed replacing anyway—it keeps making people trip.” As Lynn cleaned up, she laughed and joked, “If I had been the one who spilled it, the whole neighborhood would’ve heard about it.” Everyone burst into laughter. Even Sami’s mother couldn’t help smiling. Just then, Lynn’s mother—who was also there—looked at everyone and said, “Don’t be upset, dear… to a mother, even a monkey is a gazelle.” Then she added, “Every mother thinks her son is the best person in the world, and she’ll find a thousand excuses for him… even when he’s clearly the one who made the mistake.” Sami’s mother laughed and admitted, “Maybe you’re right… I guess I do defend him a little too much.” From that day on, whenever Sami made a mistake, she treated him just like anyone else instead of putting all the blame on Lynn. Meaning of the proverb “To a mother, even a monkey is a gazelle” is said when someone—especially a parent—sees their child as better, more capable, or more wonderful than they really are, simply because of their deep love for them. The proverb reminds us that love can make people overlook the flaws of those they care about, or make those flaws seem much smaller than they really are.