Proud of an Israeli Soldier I Never Knew

     It is the Jewish Press' 25th Anniversary here in Tampa and as I read an article in the paper I began to cry.
The article was about a Tampa Bay "Solidarity" mission to Israel during the Gulf War.  The Tampa mission was the ONLY group to go to and remain in Israel throughout the Scud missile attacks.  The part that made me tear up was when they told of a terrifying moment in their trip.  The 12 American Jews from Tampa, were seated at dinner.  The alarm of an impending missile strike went off and they were forced to abandon their meal and seek refuge at the highest point of the building (to avoid nerve gas).  They all donned their gas masks with one exception.  There was a very young girl, not much older than 18.    She was a soldier in the IDF.  She did not have a gas mask.  Many in the room offered their masks to her.  She refused, choosing instead to potentially offer up her own life to spare the lives of civillians.
     To me THIS IS Israel, Israelis, and every IDF soldier.  To me... THIS is what they stand for.  This is the mentality of the people there.  They would sacrifice anything to spare an innocent life, even if it meant offering up their own instead.  This is what I saw when I lived among them.  These people are kind, and incredibly giving.  They would give you anything they could if you were in need.  I love that about these people.
    Israel, and her people, give hope to the meaning of humanity, chivalry, courage.  They are a people to be truly proud of.  And as I do hold an Israeli citizenship... I am VERY proud to count myself as one among them.
     I may have only been a child of 6, not even an American citizen yet, when this soldier made such a brave choice; but her heart means as much to me now as it did for those 12 American souls in that room in the heart of the Gulf War Crisis.

Happy 25th Anniversary to the Jewish Press here in Tampa!  And thank you for sharing such a touching story.  It was a reminder of the good people I left behind in the land I call my home.

A Poem/Song for My Mom

I miss you in the morning, when my heart wakes up alone.

I miss you in the evening, cause this cold room just don’t feel like home, I miss you.

And it’s all that I can do, I’m just callin’ to say I miss you.

The sun is hot the sky is blue but my heart feels cold, I’m without you.

I sit and have a coffee, I think of things and times that past.

Memories that just don’t fade, last year seems so far away.

How did we get here I can’t tell.  Life jumped up, I tripped and fell.

When I stood my world was gone.  I’m left alone but life moves on.

I’m a little lost, my heart is pained.  My spirit’s here but my soul is drained cause I miss you.

And it’s all that I can do, I’m just callin’ to tell you that I miss you too…