“I spent a beautiful two days in Marrakech. That wasn’t a lot of time, of course, to experience so much magnificent culture” Oprah said
On Sunday, American talk show presenter Oprah Winfrey shared a moving and inspirational story of her two-day vacation to the beautiful red city of Marrakech, Morocco.
She described her inspiring experiences in an essay on her website, Oprah Daily, which included a particularly memorable run-in with a young hotel butler named Mehdi. Mehdi’s warmth and sincere concern, in Oprah’s words, “left a permanent “heart print” on her soul.
Oprah and her daughter, Liliane, were graciously welcomed during their stay at the Amanjena Hotel, and Oprah expressed her thanks for the kindness they experienced. She praised Mehdi, the devoted and dedicated private butler, for his “impeccable” service and for giving them a genuine feel of Moroccan hospitality.
“My stay there at the Amanjena was exquisite. I’ve got to tell you, it is a lovely hotel that was enhanced by the services of a private butler named Mehdi. Ah, Mehdi. My eyes water when I think of him,” Oprah wrote.
Oprah and Liliane were greeted with a nice surprise, meticulously planned by Mehdi himself, when they returned to their two-bedroom “glorious” suite. “We love you, Oprah,” was written on the room’s decor using candles and flowers.
Mehdi said to Oprah: “It’s a small thing we do. But I wanted you to know how I and the staff feel about you being here. It’s a small thing, ma’am, but we hope you can feel it.”
Oprah experienced deep gratitude and humility from the act of kindness, which had a lasting impression on her.
Oprah commented on the heartfelt gesture by saying “And boy, did I feel it. Not only did I hear his words, I felt his heart. I received it so fully, it expanded my own heart,”
She continued by expressing her great connection to Mehdi’s sincere act, which crossed linguistic and cultural boundaries.
She explained “It was such a gratifying, humbling moment for me that there on the other side of the world, in a world so different from my own, this young man, who’s 28, would go out of his way to do something so kind, so generous. A small thing, he said, that left a big impression—a forever heart print—on me,”
Oprah was moved by Mehdi’s act and thought about the idea of leaving “heart prints” for others as having a deep influence beyond simple deeds of kindness. She wondered how she could emulate Mehdi’s compassion and impact other people’s lives.
“How do I do that for somebody else? How do I leave someone with a heart print? Not just an act of kindness,” Oprah asked, She then invites her readers to reflect on the same concept and share their own “Mehdi moments.”
The media personality had the chance to enjoy Marrakech’s delights and fully immerse herself in Moroccan beauty and culture in addition to her amazing encounter with Mehdi.
“I spent two beautiful days in Marrakech, Morocco, which wasn’t enough time to experience so much magnificent culture,” Oprah said in her caption of an Instagram video of her grooving to some Moroccan music
