Milia Maroun was never just a friend; she was part of a shared beginning, a presence woven into the earliest memories of youth, when life was still innocent and full of promise. Our mothers’ friendship brought us together, but it was her nature that made her unforgettable.
Milia carried, from the very start, something rare: a quiet kindness, a refusal to judge, a generosity of heart that made everyone feel seen and accepted. With her, life was simple and beautiful: days of skiing in Faraya, carefree rides on our mobilettes, teen parties to dawn, laughter that felt endless. And then I watched her grow into herself, into a true designer, embracing success with the same grace and authenticity she had as a child.
Milia also came from a home that was, in itself, part of Beirut’s soul. Her father, Nabih Maroun, a self-made man who lived nearly a century, carried within him a whole chapter of the city’s history. Through “La Gondole”, the iconic restaurant he built and nurtured for more than 60 years, he preserved not only flavors, but memories of a Beirut that once was, vibrant, elegant, and full of life. On each chair, he could recall a name, a story, a moment. By his side, her mother Hoda, his inseparable companion, shared both life and vision, building together a family grounded in resilience, warmth, and deep human values. It was in this environment, where history, dignity, and love coexisted, that Milia was shaped.
Life, in its harshest contradiction, interrupted her just as she found love and became a mother to a wonderful daughter. She lost her battle to cancer. Today, her absence leaves a silence that stretches across Lebanon, France, Germany, UK, Turkey … across every place where she was loved.
My thoughts are with Hoda, Nabih, Samer, Mazen, Philippe, Aya, and the tons of friends she made.
What remains is the imprint of who she was: compassionate, luminous, and deeply human. And to have known her, to have called her a friend, was nothing short of a privilege.
May she rest in peace 💔
*Those footages are from “Woojooh Al Madina” series which I have produced in London where Milia was featured.
#miliamaroun #friendship #cancer #tribute #ricardokaram
Alle ore 9:00 (ora locale), il Santo Padre Leone XIV si è trasferito in auto e papamobile al Monastero di San Maroun ad Annaya.
Al suo arrivo, all’ingresso principale del Monastero, il Papa è stato accolto dal Superiore del Convento e dal Superiore Generale dei Maroniti, che lo hanno accompagnato nel cortile del Monastero.
Prima di entrare nella cappella che custodisce la tomba di San Charbel, il Santo Padre è stato accolto dal Presidente della Repubblica e dalla consorte.
Dopo il canto d’ingresso, la preghiera silenziosa davanti alla tomba, il canto e l’accensione di una lampada votiva e il Saluto di benvenuto da parte del Superiore Generale dell’Ordine Libanese Maronita, Rev. Abate Mahfouz Hady, il Papa ha pronunciato il suo saluto.
Successivamente, dopo la Preghiera a San Charbel, in francese, la benedizione finale e la consegna di un dono al Santo Padre, il Papa ha visitato il museo del Monastero, che custodisce reperti storici e reliquie, accompagnato dal Superiore del Convento.
#PapaLeoneXIV #LeoneXIV #Pope #PopeLeoXIV #LeoXIV #Lebanon #Libano