A quiet day

Today Israel agreed to a humanitarian cease fire, but it was a hard day for us.The reality of the current situation has changed out greetings to one another from “have a nice day” to “have a quiet day”

As the evening news announced that 10 soldiers had fallen, I rushed to the phone.

Five of the soldiers who lost their lives as a PRG rocket slammed into their vehicle, were squad commanders.

My youngest son is a squad commander.

The insurgents had managed to cross the border by tunnel and wreak destruction near the peaceful settlement called Nahal Oz.

On a quiet day the number of rockets in recent weeks, launched into our cities is less than a hundred. Down south a person has 15 second to run for shelter before the rocket lands. Ok, we do have the Iron Dome which has a success rate of over 90%, but would you let one of your children take a chance on the remaining 10% and not run for cover?

Over Tel Aviv one has 90 seconds and as sirens blare that seems like a long time as you wait for quiet, then the inevitable boom of a missile exploding towards the earth, with pieces of deadly shrapnel falling from the sky.

Not pleasant to be out in the open.

A wave of relief flooded me after the call to my good friend assured me his son who was involved in the incident, is okay.

I looked up across the room and words could not describe the relief I felt of having my young son beside me smiling and safe at home, on vacation, after being on base for 30 days.