"This Unique, Beautiful Life"

The title of the last of my third "Riffs" on the Israel trip was inspired by our hostess at the kibbutz we had lunch at on the Golan Heights (see the post about the "terrorist" attack). She was talking about her life since late 1960s on the kibbutz -- the challenges, threats, upsides, and hope of their lives. She talked about how much "this unique, beautiful life" meant to her -- and it stuck with me as a good description of how many of the Israelis we talked to felt about their lives.

I've been back in the States for 48 hours now, just two posts away from finishing the blog. I'm struck most by the diversity of the people, the land, and their lives under the most trying of circumstances. All throughout history, people have been resilient. However, no nation has been as resilient under such odds and such firepower as Israel.

It's a country I definitely want to go back to and take my family. It may just be with my wife Carol in ten years or so, or maybe all five of us can carve out time. If you haven't been, there's no reason not to. I never felt unsafe, although it was clear there were places where we shouldn't/couldn't go. That's not to say something might not happen -- of course something can happen, but other types of danger lurks everywhere in the world, including in the U.S. A suicide bomber isn't any more or less random than a nut with a gun who shoots up a nursing home (as happened in NC while we were returning from Israel).

Okay, there is a difference -- Israel is constantly under siege, and the U.S. generally is not (I note "generally" as to acknowledge the threat of terrorism on US soil). But, if you want to visit a place of literally Biblical proportions in history, beauty, and resilience, go to Israel.

A few other notes:

• I've said it before, but the food was fabulous. Mediterrean at its heart, the diversity of options was great.
• Okay, so while on the trip I totally blanked on links -- I will at some point go back and add clickable links to the blog. My bad.
• The north of Israel ranks among the most beautiful places on earth.
• More countries need a program like AIEF puts on. I'm just sayin' I'll be happy to volunteer for those trips too!
• As Rob Stutzman's former boss would say, "I'll be back."