To My Son and All the New Recruits- G-d Bless You. |
And then that time comes. The moment I’ve been quietly pushing to the back of my mind since the day my son was born.
“By then we won’t need an army- we’ll have peace.”
Hopeful thinking. Optimistic thinking. Peaceful thinking. Because that is what we want.
We are a nation that longs for peace. A nation that raises its children to love, to appreciate life, to treat others with kindness, respect, and dignity. To take life seriously and live it with passion. To learn, to ask, to remember, to believe, to innovate, to lead, guy and to never give up.
We don’t want an army. But we have learned, the hard way, that we have no choice. We have learned that in order to live our dreams, we must be able to defend ourselves. With an emphasis on defend.
That is why I put on my very brave panties this morning, holding my emotions together as best as I could, as I blessed my eldest son. I kissed him and hugged him- yes, in front of all his friends, which he graciously allowed, and then I waved goodbye as he began his new journey as a soldier in the IDF.
As a mother, this is not something I ever wanted for my sons. But it is something our nation needs.
So as a proud citizen, I am doing my duty too.
As my son said to me in the car: “Imma, this isn’t just my enlistment. It’s yours as well.”
Today, I joined the ranks of the mothers of boys in green.
As I tried to imagine how I would handle this, a thought came back to me- one I hadn’t had since my first pregnancy during a music concert. I remember wondering how I would manage labor… I looked around at a room full of people dancing and thought: All these people were born. Their mothers did this. If they could do it, so can I.
Slightly absurd, but that same thought came back today. If so many mothers can do this, then I can too.
The buildup to the army has been huge. Watching my son decide how he wants to serve and protect his country. Watching him and his friends grow up from snotty-nosed boys, to half-baked teenagers, to strong, broad-shouldered young men I can barely wrap my arms around anymore.
Listening to the endless conversations at home about which unit is best, which gives the most, what kind of person you need to be to serve. (When I suggested the navy for the fancy white uniform… I was very quickly shut down.)
Slowly realizing that everyone has a role in this extraordinary, complex miracle of a country and an army which is something we could not have dreamed of just 100 years ago.
And understanding, too, that every role matters. Every unit matters.
Most of the time, I was just a fly on the wall. Listening. Smiling. Sometimes shuddering. Breathing in and out.
Hoping, wishing, praying that soon we won’t need an army and that peace will come. But also holding the reality that we probably still will. Because that is our story.
We finally have the ability to defend ourselves, because, despite everything, there is still so much hate directed at us. I don’t understand it. I don’t understand the depth of it, or the resources poured into it, or the “why” behind it all.
But maybe this is part of our story. And maybe this is our role to play.
And maybe, one day, we really will have peace.
What I do know is this: I am so incredibly proud of these young men and women.
Despite COVID, despite wars and the fact the we are currently in a war, despite everything they’ve seen and continue to see, images and horrors we can no longer shield them from, they are choosing to stand up. To serve. To protect their country and their people.
Because this is what they believe in. Because this is who they are.
They are the generation that has been given the privilege to defend itself, to think for itself, to create, to believe- and ultimately, to be a light unto the nations.
So to my son, and to all the young recruits who have been called to serve and have answered that call – Thank You!
We salute you. We are deeply grateful.
May Hashem watch over you and bring you all home safely.
And to all the mothers who have walked this path before me- thank you for leading the way.
I have so much to learn. ❤️