If you had to sum up life in six words, what would you you say? Here is one attempt, from Gaza

My husband and I planned a joyous wedding in Gaza, and then travel together to his home in the UAE. But then our world turned upside down.

It looked as if Ameera would not get out of Gaza to study, as is the case with so many. But she and her sister never gave up, and they won.

Most Palestinians can’t get out of Gaza, and others can’t visit us. Snapchat is sort of a bridge.

When you’re in Gaza, you can’t wait to leave, and when you’re out, you long for family but are too afraid to return.

“What is home for you?” I asked. “It is where I can be truly myself. Simply, it’s where I find safety and acceptance,” he answered.

As George Orwell teaches in “1984,” the real defeat is the defeat of the heart.

As the Beatles once sang, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” I have a very special friend who lights up even the grayest of days.

It was my first opportunity to leave Gaza and see the outside world. And for a few brief moments, I imagined being like most people and simply boarding a plane.

If you could write a letter to your future self, what would you say?

Despite the ongoing closure, medical student Marj Al-Zohoor has never lost hope or canceled her plans to continue her studies in Egypt.

Despite the ongoing closure, medical student Marj Al-Zohoor has never lost hope or canceled her plans to continue her studies in Egypt.