Photo Credit: wikimedia

I am grateful that though there was so much property damage and waste, despite the terrors and fears, I am grateful that so many were spared; that miracles happened every day to lessen the injuries.

I thank You, God, for the promise that is Israel and I thank You for the deep friendship Israel shares with the American people, who stood by us, comforted us, and showed their tremendous support through the last 8 days.

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May God bless the United States of America, its people and its way of life and may the blessings of this past week continue here in Israel – may our sons and daughters be safe, our land protected and secure.

There is a culture so different beyond our borders – it is not ours. One person was killed in Gaza, three wounded from the bullets shot into the air to celebrate what they consider a victory. Personally, I’d rather live in a land that does not celebrate war. Our sons came home last night – and they were welcomed with hugs, warm food, and the gratitude of our nation.

Whatever the politics, whether we should have gone in to Gaza with ground forces or not, the most important fact right now is that at this moment, rockets are not being fired at Israel. How long that will last is anyone’s guess and no one is naive enough in Israel to believe it won’t be happening again.

I have theories that I won’t share here as to why Bibi Netanyahu accepted Washington’s command for a ceasefire – but whatever the politics…at this moment, Elie is with his wife and tens of thousands of other soldiers are home or safe on base. It’s raining in my beautiful country, a land that blesses each drop of water that comes from the skies. We are filled with thanksgiving which is, in all honesty, so much more fulfilling and meaningful than being filled with some misguided sense of victory or hatred.

Visit A Soldier’s Mother.

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Paula R. Stern is the co-founder of Retraining4Israel (www.retraining4israel.com), a new organization working to help olim make aliyah successful. Paula made aliyah over 30 years ago with her husband and their three children. She lives in Maale Adumim and is often referred to as “A Soldier’s Mother”. She is now a happy wife, mother of five (including two sabras), and grandmother, happily sharing her voice and opinions with others. She is also a senior tech writer and lead training instructor at WritePoint Ltd. (www.writepoint.com). Please visit her new website: www.israelheartbeat.com