38 Days

A Day in the Life of an Israeli MOM: Ella Gan-Or
13/11/2023

38 days since October 7. And if there is one stable thing in this whole period – it is the instability.

It seems like the faster we get used to the changes, the easier it will be to breathe.

Basic decisions like – where to stay? should I send the kids to school? Should we go home? Become complex and exhausting, I just try to get through one day at a time.
In short: we live in the south, we are currently staying with my parents up north. Our kids go to school in the north while we, the parents, try to continue working – back down south.
It’s complicated, it’s exhausting… but for now – it seems like the best solution.

I feel that even in this big mess and confusion, we have so many things to be thankful for. And perhaps it is the darkness itself – that help us appreciate the light even more.
For starters, we have a house to return to. We are not there right now – but it’s there, waiting for us – once we’ll decide it’s time – we can return home.

Second, we are all alive and together. So many families were torn apart… I have the ability to hug my children, to enjoy their sweetness and innocence. I can hug my husband.
So many of my friends are alone while their spouses are in reserve duty. My husband is no longer serving, so out of all the fears and anxieties – that is one less thing to worry about.
Third thing to be thankful for are my parents. My parents opened their hearts and home for us, they host us with such kindness, they take care of my kids when I head back south for work, and they live in such an amazing community here that welcomes and embraces us.

I asked my mother the other day – isn’t this too much, aren’t we interfering the peace and calm they are so used to live in?

So she said: “you are our daughter, these are our grandchildren, we are happy to help”.

Bottom line, these are hard times, the hardest I’ve ever known in my life. But in great darkness the light shines brighter, the light shines better. And there is a lot of light, even now.

Today, at this hour, this second – I wish to focus for a moment on the light.

Am Israel Chai!