Mother’s Day, celebrated on May 10, and Father’s Day on June 21 are two American holidays that offer us all an opportunity to consider the virtues of our parents.
Kodiak resident Dr. Janet Abadir is thankful that her departed Egyptian parents, Sami and Suzan Abadir, handed down a rich legacy to their descendants, giving their children an opportunity to grow up in the U.S.A. — a country that rewards hard work and diligence.
Abadir, formerly a surgeon at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center, drew inspiration from her parents, each of whom worked in the medical field.
They emigrated from Egypt in 1970, settling in New Providence, New Jersey, where Janet grew up.
Sami Abadir was an anesthesiologist who worked at Overlook Medical Center, a leading hospital in Summit, New Jersey.
Suzan went to school at Cairo University in Egypt and trained at St. Michael’s Hospital in Newark, where she earned a medical degree and began a career as a pediatrician.
“My mom stayed home from her work as a pediatrician to be a stay-at-home mom. I always respected that and looked up to her for making that choice,” said Abadir.
In reflection, Abadir emulates her mother’s self-sacrifice and love.
“She was very strong-willed, which I definitely emulate. She knew what she liked, and I know what I like. She was extremely intelligent.”
She’s also thankful for her parents’ Christian faith.
Her father’s favorite saying was “Praise the Lord,” and “How are you today, my friend?”
“He always had a positive attitude and a loving, generous heart,” said Abadir.
Suzan, who died April 24, “wanted to re-dedicate her life to Jesus, which is (unusual) for the Egyptian culture,” said Abadir.
“Religion and belief in God is kind of a private thing, and people are hesitant to talk about it. There’s also a lot of fear because of persecution. (In Egypt) sometimes people don’t want to be open about their faith, because it could result in a negative consequence.
“For my mom to open up and say that, to pray out loud with me on the last day we saw each other, it was just so meaningful, and a gift from God to know He wanted to have that positive memory that I could hold on to for the rest of my life.”
Abadir also appreciated the cultural heritage that her parents passed on to her and her siblings.
“It was really cool to see the cultural assumptions that I grew up with. My parents knew Egyptian culture. They just assumed it while they were raising me.
“But I was always confused. I went to public school and most of my friends were American. But I didn’t understand why my parents had these (Egyptian) beliefs,” she said.
“But then I got to see it firsthand,” alluding to a trip she made to Egypt in February.
Abadir credits God for organizing the trip, which almost didn’t happen.
“Last year my cousins mentioned that their dad wanted to go back to Egypt and show them all the places he grew up. I really wanted to hear those stories too. But when they planned the trip, they forgot to let me know until two weeks beforehand.”
“They said ‘We’re sorry we forgot, but you can still come.’ I said ‘okay.” I had to take five flights from Kodiak to get to Cairo. Two overnights, about 36 hours.”
Abadir spent three weeks in Egypt. She stayed in Heliopolis, the Cairo suburb where her father was born.
Of course, no trip to Egypt would be complete without a visit to the Great Pyramid of Giza, which Abadir saw as a child during her first trip to Egypt with her parents.
“The pyramids are amazing. When you look at this massive structure from the highway, it’s like a mountain in the distance, but it’s all man-made.”
Abadir was also impressed by her visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which opened in November of 2025. “It has amazing displays and is definitely worth the visit,” she said.
“Egypt is an amazing place; it is so old,” said Abadir. “Everything is thousands of years old. The time that Jesus was on the earth isn’t considered very ancient to the Egyptians.”
Abadir said that seeing her heritage, and knowing how deep her roots go, especially in the faith, was a rewarding experience.
“Christianity in Egypt is really ancient,” she said, noting that Mark, the writer of one of the Gospels, lived in Egypt and helped convert some Egyptians to Christianity through his evangelizing. (Currently, about 10% of Egyptians are Coptic Christians. They form the largest Christian community in the Mideast. 90% of Egyptians are Sunni Muslims.)
“The Coptic churches have this very long history. The way they practice is a little different from her Baptist faith, but “it was wonderful to realize how similar we are, too,” she said.
“Almost everyone you meet (in Egypt) has a very strong faith. Cairo has 20 million people; it’s very crowded, and you realize that God provides. Where many people have faith, you see a lot more of the miraculous in the commonplace. You see God’s faithfulness to His people,” said Abadir.
“He takes care of people — even the stray dogs. There are stray dogs everywhere.”
And why is that? It’s because the prayers of Muhammed, the founder of Islam, weren’t answered because there was a dog living in his house.
And because of that, dogs were considered unclean, Abadir explained.
“Nobody has pet dogs; but they allow them to roam the streets. So there’s just packs of dogs everywhere, but none of them starve to death either. There’s a way to have their needs met.”
While in Egypt, Abadir met her aunt and uncle, cousins and their children, realizing that “family ties transcend human status. I realize how loved I am. I always have a place. Even when things in my life are shaken, the firm foundation, which is Jesus and my family, won’t be shaken,” said Abadir.
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