My uncle sent me this video about Jerusalem.

It made me really sad, although the video isn’t sad at all. I just forgot how much I really love Israel. The video shows many parts of the country, all of which I recognized and all I had visited, save one. There are Christian monasteries built into the hillside of the Negev Desert, which I’ve neither heard of, nor visited. But I started thinking about all the fantastic adventures I had in Israel, all the people I met, all the experiences I was lucky enough to have and to share.

Israel is such a beautiful country. It’s a place which represents more than just my failed marriage, thankfully. For me, Israel will always be a homeland and a home. I feel connected to the land because I lived there, but also because I know that one day our people (the Jews) will have to return there, rebuild the Temple in anticipation for the Meshiach. Aside from a religious connection, I felt I learned so much about myself in Israel.

I learned patience because life did not move at the same pace as it does in America.

I learned to expect less, and be happier with less, because there are so many who have less than less, I am not willing to be greedy with what I have or ungrateful because of what I don’t.

I learned that if I gave up, I will have no one to blame, but myself because I gave up and I know it was on me.

I learned that I can only be responsible for the things I do and I can control how I react to others; I am not responsible for what others do and I cannot control what others do because life is too short to take it all on your shoulders.

I learned that life doesn’t have specific rules to be followed because doing what I think everyone expects of me will not make me happy.

I learned that not everyone is playing the same game because people who play by their rules are passing me by.

I learned to relax because Israel is an intense place; if I bought into it all, I’d have had a heart attack.

I learned I am resilient, because I am bouncing back; I am starting over.

I learned I can survive, because I did.

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