Hatoon. I never knew her. She was always just the homeless lady by the bookstore who was really nice to people. But I never stopped to talk to her. Then one day I learned her name. I heard a rumor that she was told by the clouds that her new name would be two sounds: “Ha” and “Toon.”
This struck a personal cord with me because Hatoon isn’t gibberish; it’s a Turkish word. I thought “Hatun” meant “crazy old lady”
because that’s what my dad calls my great-aunt, who is a little senile. I always thought of Hatoon as the American version of my great-aunt.
But on Wednesday I started to wonder if I had the meaning wrong, so I called my grandmother to ask. “Hatun” originally was a title reserved for women in prominent social positions in the Ottoman Empire. Now it is used as a term of endearment for older women who are well respected and loved by
the community.
I never spoke to Hatoon, but she always was smiling and I always liked her. In the last 24 hours I’ve learned just how many people did like her and love her. She touched a lot of people’s lives. Her name may have sounded like gibberish to some, but coincidentally she chose a name that fit her perfectly: an older woman who is well respected and loved by many.

Sermin Yesilada
Undergraduate