I cannot concentrate on anything. I dropped all my plans for today and ran to be in the woods. I am not sure what to do with all the emotions and the fear that's going on in my body right now. I fear for the safety of my family, friends, and the people of Israel. I fear for everyone who is at the mercy of the brutality of Hamas, including the Palestinian people.
Living a peaceful life while so many people suffer, makes it hard not to feel guilty. I had a similar feeling when the war in Ukraine started, and then... life goes on.
But this is too close to home. This is part of me and part of who I am. I feel lucky a simple choice to immigrate to the United States saved my boys from fighting in a war. It is unfair for any mother to hug their sons goodbye and not know if they will see them again.
Like all of us, I cannot understand how someone can be so evil. How much pain must we endure to understand we are all connected? There is no I or you there is only us. Can we just let kindness be what unites us?!
As always, the woods ground me. I start my hike from Johnsontown Rd. at Harriman State Park. There are so many paths you can take from this head trail. AllTrials has many suggestions, but I created my own today. White Bar Trail to Tuxedo-Mount Ivy Trail to White Cross Trail to Victory Trail to Triangle Trail and back to the White Bar Trail (about a 5-6 miles). Just don't make the same mistake I did and hike after a few days of rain. It was challenging at times to find a dry path.
Mike is progressing beautifully with the minivan buildup. Tomorrow, I will be painting it, which is another step forward. There is so much to do, and my days are still nonstop.
I am getting a bit more comfortable with being in front of a camera. You can go ahead and check the progress of the buildup in the latest video I added to my YouTube channel (Gila Melamed).
