This morning, innocent, beautiful lives were taken from us. Palestinian terrorists, who freely roam the country, snuck into a synagogue where Jewish men were praying for a better world. Headlines of mainstream media outlets will be biased. People will defend this horrific act. Most people are brainwashed and don’t even realize it. Most people don’t care, don’t want to care. It disgusts me, but more than that, it terrifies me – what will become of us as a human race?
At 8 am when I heard the news on the radio, my heart grew heavy as I began to sob gently, a dear friend by my side naturally responding in the same manner.
An hour later, I was already working in the office, responding to emails, completing tasks, managing my workload. In other words, I was busy. Distracted. Acting as if my brothers were not just taken from me. Now I’m home, listening to Beethoven, sipping rosé, and getting ready for another night out. Compelled to express myself through writing, but not stopping my daily routine in any major way.
For us, life goes on… but those souls left this earth as we know it. Their families, friends, loved ones, communities… will never be the same. Those souls will never taste a delicious meal again. They will never feel the warm embrace of a hug. They will never cry tears of joy as they watch their 24 orphaned children and I don’t know how many grandchildren, grow. They will never laugh at a funny joke, or smell sweet perfume, or hear inspiring music, or read a moving book.
Soon, people will stop talking about what happened this morning in Har Nof, Jerusalem, the holy city for all major religions of the world – my home, Israel. I moved here a few months ago from my comfortable life in Los Angeles, CA. I came because I felt it was the right thing to do. It felt important to support this place. I was sick and tired of constantly having to defend my beliefs about the Jewish homeland to friends – Jews and non-Jews – yet I find myself struggling to defend myself in this tiny country I now call home.
Life is not fair. Our world is filled with evil, unjust, cruelty. How can we not despair? How can we continue to drink beers on the beach and travel the world and raise families and be well? I believe one way is by doing good; by being better to ourselves and our loved ones. It’s our responsibility to take care of ourselves, to improve, to strive, to be happy, to give, to be grateful, to love.
So next time you see an opportunity – no matter how small – to do something kind or generous – I urge you to take it.
Let’s pray, or meditate, or whatever you want to call it, for happier, healthier times. Let’s hope for revenge not by violence – no, we are not savages like our enemies. Let’s wish that the families will heal swiftly and know no more suffering. Let’s take revenge by adding to the beauty of the world, in any way we can.
The greatest risk in life is not taking one.
- Who Gets To Go To The Moon - 9/18/2018
- On Being Feminine, Not Feminist - 3/8/2016
- Top 7 Ways To Know You’re Not Ready To Date - 11/5/2015
Thank you for sharing, A.F.
What can I say….BARBARIC, COWARDLY, UGLY, NOTHING LESS THAN AN ATROCITY!
My thoughts go out to the families of the fallen at this most difficult hour.