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A Day of Hope, a Day of Shame
My heart hurts today
It’s cold outside today. Massachusetts is getting ready for its first snowstorm of the year. I woke up this morning with a sense of anticipation, but it was tinged with anxiety, too.
In an effort to settle myself, I’ve spent a good part of the day cooking. I’ve made lentil soup with Indian spices, along with a couple of loaves of multi-grain bread. I had a few apples in the fridge, so I made a nice apple crisp. The house smells homey and safe. As the snowflakes fall, I am surrounded by the scents of cinnamon, ginger and garam masala.
I should be feeling serene.
But today, and tomorrow, are days of conflicting emotions and I can’t seem to fully calm down.
Today I feel hopeful for the suffering children in Gaza. At last, after more than a year of endless bombing, Gaza and Israel are tentatively entering a period of cease-fire. I have doubts about its solidity, as I do not trust either the Israeli government or the leadership of Hamas. I don’t believe that any of the men with weapons are working to end the suffering of innocent families on either side of the border.
But I am hopeful. As I watched the images of young women held in captivity for over 500 days, I couldn’t help crying. My daughter is the same age; I can’t imagine how the…
