BONITA LYNETTE
  

Dearest Mom and Dad, Sitting here on the third morning after the launching of Operation Protective Edge. Feeling quite weak to the stomach. Just arrived at work after another Code Red Siren caught me on my way to Tel Aviv.

Funny how me, an adult, watching the hourly news and completely aware of the situation around me, listening to all the instructions being dished out left right and centre, found my body acting uncontrollably to such a frightening situation.

Yesterday, the second day of the Operation, walking my daily route from the train to work, suddenly hear the siren going off. I was in the middle of the street WITH NO PROTECTION. Looked around me and started to run like everybody else – where to – no idea!!!

Where is there a security room? What am I supposed to do now??? All this going through my mind knowing I have one-and-a-half minutes to get to a safe place.

With the siren going, me panicking, legs shaking, I suddenly find a flight of stairs leading down to the street below and peer under the stairs, only to find a sea of about 30 faces all knelt down underneath the stairs, looking at me, wide-eyed, also not knowing what to do at that moment.

And then we hear the BOOM above our heads. Looked up and saw the miracle. The miracle interception of the Iron Dome RIGHT ABOVE OUR HEADS. Could that missile have landed, in days gone by??? Can I truly say that our lives have just been saved by the incredible technology of the Security Forces of the State of Israel??? Hard thought.

And then, it happened again…

Even though the situation is as is, the only way to cope is to try and lead normal lives and to carry on our activity “business as usual.” There is no point sitting at home watching TV and the scuds and missiles falling all day!!!!!!!

So got up this morning for another day of fear, sirens and “Code Red”, praying that the State of Israel is able to protect its citizens from these terrifying falling missiles.

READ: THE LETTER NOBODY WANTS BUT ALL SHOULD READ

Just having got off the train, doing my daily route to work, that dreaded sound goes off in my ears – Code Red second morning running!!!!! This time really nowhere to hide. See all the cars stopping on the side of the road and people jumping out of their cars and lying down on the road, run to a wall and lie down on the pavement, once again stomach in spasm and knees knocking like no tomorrow. 

Once again, a miracle occurs above my head and actually cannot believe how blessed I feel.

Just calming my mind and trying to concentrate on the real stuff – a day of business ahead of us – try not to think about the scuds coming our way, pray that the children at home, in the middle of their school holidays, don’t have to experience what I have just experienced. And if they, do, that they will be strong enough to cope.

Somehow they understand, even more than I do, that this is our reality. They have total belief in the Israeli Government and the IDF that we will all get through this with our heads held high. They also know that there are people much worse off than we are and praying for the soldiers of the IDF and for all citizens in the South who live this reality on a daily basis.

Feeling proud to be living in Israel and to be part of such an incredible process, feeling nervous for myself and my family and mainly have total belief that we will never give up, that someday, we will win this battle and no matter what, WILL ALWAYS COME OUT WITH OUR HEADS HELD HIGH.

Lots of love,

Forever,

Believe it or not, the same writer penned the week’s top read:
THE LETTER NOBODY WANTS BUT ALL SHOULD READ
(published exclusively on sajr.co.za) on her son’s call-up & had
over 1,000 reads in a day! This happened to her the same day!

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