Dear Hashem,
As you know, today is Memorial Day, Yom HaZikaron, the day we remember our fallen soldiers and our victims of terror. Last night, Hubby and I went to a ceremony where fifth grade boys read letters from fallen soldiers, chapters from Psalms and in their sweet, beautiful and innocent voices, they sang songs about war, loss, pain and grieving families.
As I stood there, silent(it was standing room only), various names kept popping into my head. Eden Atias. Ro'i Klein. Yehoshua Friedberg. Nachshon Waxman. Yoni Netanyahu...Each one of them a whole world on their own merit...Yet there have been 23,169 military casualties, counted from the year 1860. And then there are the victims of terror. Asher & Yonatan Palmer. The Merkaz HaRav Massacre. The Fogels. Koby Mandell & Yosef Ishran. And the list goes on and on. And the tears that our nation cries every year can fill oceans.
As the beautiful young boys were singing, I looked at each one of them and pictured each one of them doing what young boys love to do...Riding their bikes, playing soccer, learning Torah with their fathers, secretly going for hugs from their mothers (when none of their friends can see). And then I thought about my three beautiful children, sleeping peacefully and soundly in their beds, with one of their favorite babysitters right there for them if they needed anything.
Hashem, when Eden, Ro'i, Yehoshua, Nachshon and Yoni put on their Tzahal uniforms every morning, they did so with pride. These young men loved their people and they loved their country, so much so that they were willing to die in order to let us live.
I can't stop crying as I write you this letter, Hashem. These young men in uniform...They were only just boys...
I moved to this beautiful land because I know deep in my heart and in my soul that this is where You want me to be. This is where You wanted me to meet my Hubby and this is where You wanted me to marry him. This is where You want us raise our children. This is the ONLY place in the entire universe that You want me to strengthen my connection to You. The ONLY place in the entire universe where you want my children to learn, grow and build their own lives. And so we are here. And so today I sob with the rest of the country. And today my broken heart aches for all the grieving mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers.And today, I imagine the day that I'll be kissing my own children dressed in uniforms, proud as can be and already counting the days, minutes and seconds until the day they return to my loving embrace.
I recognize that You have given us a jewel BEYOND jewels...A diamond BEYOND diamonds..This tiny, beautiful land of ours. And I really want to do my share in protecting its beauty and its sanctity.I want to make you proud..Hashem, please....I beg You. Keep our people safe. Keep our young boys and young girls free from harm. Haven't we cried enough tears throughout the generations? When will our nation FINALLY merit true Redemption???
With all my love,
Cigal
