Things for which I am grateful…
My son is safe
We are safe
People I love are safe (though not all of them – possibly not even most of them)
The ability of Israelis to quickly and seamlessly come together in times of crisis, always looking for ways to get involved, to help, and to save lives
Random acts of kindness
My dog
Nespresso‘s unexpectedly fortuitous decision to release an extra-caffeinated version of one of my favorite blends – and my spontaneous decision to buy two boxes of this blend late last week
Being able to use writing as a vice to process my feelings and share what we are going through
My amazing, sensitive nieces in the US, who text us regularly to find out how we’re doing and to let us know that they’re thinking about us. My younger niece told us about a pro-Israel demonstration on her campus yesterday with 300 people in attendance, sending us photos and videos. She also invited us to come stay with her – my son is certain that her friends in the sorority house in which she lives won’t mind having him around
The weather is finally beginning to cool down from the relentless heat of summertime, and we’ve even had some rainI can work from home – though “can” is really relative, because it’s hard to keep my mind focused on my tasks and deadlines
Dark humor that makes me smile or laugh, even for just a moment
Living on the very distant edge of long-range missile ranges, which allows me to feel relatively safe no matter who’s firing. To be honest, though, I also feel guilty about this, knowing that so many of my friends and loved ones are not in the same position.
Friends and loved ones who ask me what they can do to help – either us personally or the country as a wholeThe constant messages of love and support we’ve been receiving from friends and loved ones abroad. Your words are comforting beyond measure.