22 November, 2023
Day 45: Sparks of Light in the Darkness – Hope, Heartbreak, and Unexpected Advocacy
The last time I wrote an entry for my war diaries was day 32. I just haven’t been able to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write my thoughts for the last two weeks. We’re on day 45 – whoever thought it would be this long and still, no end in sight?
Every day brings so many ups and downs and my heart is tired of aching, worrying, wondering. There’s something really strange about carrying on with life as normal, when our world is anything but normal.
Two hundred and thirty eight hostages – and the number has been reduced by three over the last few weeks, just because their bodies have now been found in Gaza, murdered after they were taken. Their families are crying out to be heard, to bring their loved ones home, even as they continue to bury their dead.
This picture says it all. How can I miss 249 people I’ve never even met? But it’s true!
And the stories… They continue to come and they continue to break our hearts. I’m not always sure I know what to do with all the sadness, but it’s there, like a new companion in my life, walking with me everywhere I go. It’s something we’re all learning to live with as we try to keep up the hope, the desire for peace and calm times.
I’ll share some stories I’ve gathered over the last couple of weeks.
#coffeeat3withsasha
I learnt about Alexander (Sasha) Trupanob, 28 years old, kidnapped in Gaza. As a manager he created a daily ritual with his team – coffee at 3 o’clock. This was their time to chat and connect, to get to know each other personally, and not only around work. I love this ritual. When we feel connected with each other at work, when we get to know each other and when managers get to see the human beings that are showing up every single day, work becomes meaningful and of course, performance soars. If you can create this kind of team environment, then you’re doing great as a manager. And that’s what Sasha did, every day.
For more than a month now, he hasn’t been able to join the 3 o’clock coffee session. His team has now called for people to come together and drink coffee at 3 o’clock and upload the pics (including the hashtag #coffeeat3withsasha) so that Shasha will know he’s not forgotten. When he comes back, these pics will let him know how much he was missed.
I’m more of a tea drinker but I’m sure Sasha won’t mind.
Who’s joining for a 3 p.m. coffee / tea / whatever you enjoy drinking for Sasha?
Funeral for a soldier from our city, Raanana
Roey Marom, 21 years old, a fallen soldier from our city, Raanana, was laid to rest last week. As a gesture of love and appreciation, thousands of people came out onto the streets to pay their last respects, as the family and his coffin were driven from their home to the cemetery. I choked back the tears as I saw the streets lined with people and Israeli flags. This is the cost of war and it’s devastating.
And on the bright side, army weddings.
My new favourite videos to watch are moms being surprised by their soldiers coming home for a break and weddings or proposals on base.
With all the heartbreak and sadness, there’s hope for life when people are committing to each other in a way that builds their personal future and our future as a nation.
And more on the bright side… Cowboys in Israel
One of the industries really hurt by the outbreak of war is the agriculture industry in Israel. There’s a shortage of workers to pick crops and plant new crops. Many farmers were evacuated from their homes and farms to areas of safety and their crops and animals need tending.
And in the midst of all this turmoil, we welcome the arrival of a group of farmers from Arkansas and Montana, USA who flew to Israel recently to come and lend a hand.
Thank you cowboys!
Accidental advocates
And just like that, overnight, we became accidental advocates.
On 7th October everything changed. From a life where I thought I kinda understood the rules of the game and how things work, to having to recalibrate and find my grounding again.
And I’m still doing a lot of the same things but at the same time I’m not. Overnight the topic that’s most important and relevant for me to speak about is what’s happening in Israel and less about my regular topics that have to do with leadership or business.
I know everything is connected, and at the moment this is where my heart is, and this is where I’m called to make a positive impact. In leadership and in life, we are ultimately responsible for how we show up and how we lead the world around us.
And that may mean that we shift our focus to areas that need our attention at this moment. It may be surprising or unexpected. Those are life’s curveballs – small and large.
We need to notice what’s happening around us, and also what’s happening inside us and bring the two into alignment.
For me, it’s brought up these questions:
1. How can I be of service – at this time in my life and to this situation in the world, that I find myself in?
2. Where is my voice most needed? And what am I most called to say?
I don’t have ready answers to these questions. Through my writing I get to ponder and reflect on them.
These two questions apply to everyone, whether you’re in a leadership position or not. To me they speak to the essence of life and perhaps the deeper lesson is, how we can be more responsive and versatile to the changing world around us (thanks to Dudley Peacock for bringing this to my awareness) and how we can shine our unique light to continue to make a positive impact.
So, I’ll end with this reminder to us all –
The key is to hold yourself in your center. Keep yourself grounded even when the world around you is in turmoil. Hold on to the sparks of light in the darkness.
Tune in to yourself, notice what you’re called to put out into the world and how you can amplify your voice and your impact. At the same time, also consider what you want to bring in from the world, and how this supports you and your mission.
Am Yisrael Chai 🇮🇱
