#LivingIt: Inbal Freund-Novick

The Jewish Agency's Inbal Freund-Novick writes:

“Oh how I wish we were a normal country! I would love to just be thinking now of what crib to buy and what to serve at the Brit Milah (circumcision) ceremony, but it's not like that, and we need to live in parallel worlds -- keep life going and expect the worst at any time. 

My son Yair asked me a few days ago about the age difference between him and the baby, trying to understand what being a big brother will mean. We started at him being 5 and the baby 1, and when we got to the baby being 17 and him being 21, I explained to him that at that age he will finish the army, God-willing. So he asked me what it means to be in the army, and I explained that all men go to army for three years when they are 18. All Israeli mothers pray that the war will be over when it's time for our sons to go to serve the country.

But we all realize it's a fantasy. A gloomy fantasy. I'm dreading that day.”

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