Gratitude & Grief

Today we woke up to the most amazing news. 

Fernando Simon Marman and Norberto Luis Har, two of our hostages who have been held in Gaza for 128 days, were rescued by the IDF last night in Rafah. 

I had tears streaming down my face as I recognized their faces that I knew well from the hostage posters. 

And then the photos and videos of them reuniting with their wives and family. It was an unbelievable moment. 

In these dark days, a spark of hope was reignited. This is what we have all been praying for. 

Now we have 130 hostages left to rescue. 

A few minutes after I first saw this joyous news, I saw the update that Sgt. First Class Adi Eldor, 21, of the Commando Brigade's Maglan unit, from Haifa, and Sgt. First Class (res.) Alon Kleinman, 21, of the Commando Brigade's Maglan unit, from Tel Aviv were killed in a separate operation. 

As the day progressed, I was struggling to hold the tremendous feeling of gratitude and relief, and painful grief. 

The human experience makes room to feel many feelings simultaneously, even when they are opposites. 

There is power in being able to hold both in awareness. Feeling our feelings can be confusing or overwhelming, but labeling what they are, and stating them can create space for all facets of our reality. 

Take a day like today- with much to celebrate and much to mourn. 

We would be incomplete only allowing ourselves to experience one element of what we potentially could be feeling. 

By validating both experiences, we can move through these times with a sense of clarity and that we are fully present in our lives and our sense of reality. 

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When we feel multiple feelings at once, our brains and body require time and patience to integrate them. 

We need to evaluate them, review them, and understand what is coming to the surface for us. 

On a day like today, a fitting practice would be to pause. 

Sit comfortably and get very still. 

Allow your mind to quiet. 

Notice the sounds and smells in your environment. 

Sensations in your body. 

Feelings that come up for you. 

And just stay right there in the present- not focusing on memories or potential future scenarios.

What is present for you right now?