This piece of writing is not mine. It expresses so beautifully what life is like in Israel at the moment and I wanted to share it further.
Credit goes to Chana Wurtzel who wrote it. I’ve adapted it a little.
IF YOU LIVE HERE, YOU KNOW…
If you live here, you know what it is to wake up every morning carrying the collective exhaustion of an entire country in your heart, and to know that every man, woman, and child in the country is waking up feeling the same way.
If you live here, you know what it is to send your children off for the day with an extra hug and lingering look because the reminder that we never know when life could change in an instant, became all too real overnight.
If you live here, you know what it is to have to force yourself to stop refreshing the morning news and start your day.
If you live here, you know what it is to need that second cup of coffee in order to even attempt to get to work.
If you live here, you know what it is to drive your kids to school and breathe a sigh of relief when you see the men in uniform guarding the school gate.
If you live here, you know what it is to feel the mixture of pride and worry as you drive through the streets of your neighborhood and see the flags hanging from the porches and the billboards proclaiming, “Together we will win!” and “Am Yisrael Chai!” everywhere you go.
If you live here, you know what it is to see shuttered businesses throughout town because the owners are off fighting a war.
If you live here, you know what it is to make do with whatever fruit and vegetables are on offer, since there’s nobody to work the fields so there is limited supply.
If you live here, you know what it is to hesitate before planning any sort of personal celebration since you aren’t sure if it’s appropriate and your heart just isn’t in it, but at the same time you know that life goes on and that we must appreciate it.
If you live here, you know what it is to have to reduce your work schedule because you simply don’t have the brain capacity to be able to be productive for as many consecutive hours as you always did.
If you live here, you know what it is to hold pages of names of soldiers to pray for in your hands, and to recognize every family name on the list because they are all members of your immediate community.
If you live here, you know what it is to have to set aside a significant amount of time for prayer because the list of individuals that you are praying for takes so long to get through.
If you live here, you know what it is to have to rethink so much of what you had planned for the year, because there are so many reasons why those plans are no longer relevant.
If you live here, you know what it is to stand and line the streets in the pouring rain to support your neighbors as they drive to bury their son who died keeping us safe.
If you live here, you know to communicate with others, whether friends or strangers, with a sympathetic smile and slight nod, without saying a word.
If you live here, you know what it is to feel so connected to every other human being that you interact with… From the pizza delivery guy, to the plumber, to the telemarketer, to your closest friend.
If you live here, you know what it is to see people from other countries posting on social media about travel plans and everyday events and wonder how their reality can be so different from yours.
If you live here, you know what it is to hold your breath collectively with the entire country waiting for the news update every night.
If you live here, you know what it is to know that you slept but to also remember being half awake all night and to feel like you didn’t sleep at all.
If you live here, you know what it is to feel safer here than anywhere else in the world.
If you live here, you know what it feels like when everyone is looking out for each other and that you are part of one giant, national family.
If you live here, you know that it’s the greatest privilege in the world.
If you live here, you know what it’s like to be part of something so special that really… There are simply no words to describe it.
Living here right now, I know there is no place I’d rather be…
Am Yisrael Chai 🇮🇱
