I am DevastatedScaredConfused

HorrifiedHeartbrokenShockedHurting

CryingRememberingWorriedDistraught

SickenedAngryQuestioning

Tryingtostayinformed.

BUT I AM NOT ALONE.

I know that I am not the only person who is feeling all the feels.

This is not a political post. This is not a religious post. THIS IS A HUMAN POST.

We are talking about HUMAN LIVES. Innocent, civilian, concert goer, disabled, holocaust survivor, baby, going about their business HUMAN LIVES.

I will NEVER claim to fully understand the conflict in the Middle East. I try very hard to stay informed and educate myself. It is confusing and ever-changing and omni-present. When I had the privilege of traveling to Israel in the early 80’s, it was scary then. I remember posing for pictures with Israeli soldiers and their machine guns. It was a novelty for us and yet it’s simply a part of their everyday life. Every person serves their country. Period.

Skirmishes have bubbled up over the years and certainly there has been tremendous loss.

But this?

This is on a whole other level. This is inhumane. Despicable. Pure evil. This is terrorism.

And I am having trouble processing. I am having trouble keeping from doom scrolling. I am trying to find vetted, newsworthy sources. I am trying to articulate my inner thoughts. And it’s terrifying.

BUT I AM NOT ALONE.

I have had several friends reach out to me. They have said things like, “Thinking of my Jewish friends today and want you to know I see you.” This seemingly simple, single sentence is not so simple at all; it’s rife with compassion and empathy and love and friendship.

ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE MISSING 6744 MILES FROM HERE.

There are teens in the states collecting supplies to send to Israeli troops. There are French tourists lining up in Israel to donate blood. And I am here trying to sort through my thoughts and reach out to others to try and offer some help in the way I know how-through my words.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Reach out to your friends, your family, your old colleagues, your children. Jewish or not, if they are human, reach out. Speak up. Donate. Stay informed. Do not let history repeat itself.

I AM NOT ALONE. I stand with Israel.