I am well into my 40's. As I get older, I learn to appreciate the normalcy’s of life. I am getting used to my ol’ body, my limitations, and I am comfortable about it. I know I will never be a ballerina, an astronaut, or a brain surgeon. And that's ok. Now.

What I am grateful for is living in this time period, where we Jews in this generation can make a difference. I have seen Israel go from a third world country that didn't have air conditioning, color TV, large supermarkets, …or even 'diet sodas'. Today, you can get almost anything here, and we are one of the leaders in computers, technology, and agriculture in the world.

But I didn't mention the miracles.
It is truly a blessing to be living the dream of my ancestors here in Israel.

It is truly a blessing to be living the dream of my ancestors here in Israel.
The miracles of living in the land of Israel. Our ancestors yearned so much to escape the pales of Russia and the ghettos of Europe, only to return to Zion. And here I am. My children have been born here, Hebrew is their mama-loshon (mother tongue) and we live in the land that was promised to the tribe of Benjamin that has not been settled in for almost 2,000 years. We have brought life back to this little part of Israel. To come here, and wake up the land so it turned from thistles, weeds and rocky terrain, to a green garden boasting fruit trees that give abundant fruit, and so sweet, I call it 'G-d's candy' when I pick and eat them from the trees.

Considering the vast amount of Jew haters that live in the Middle East, and that vow our destruction, it is a miracle we live here. And yet we do. I go to work every day, I shop, go to appointments, run errands, barbeque, have guests over, and just live a great fulfilling life. My children are comfortable with a Hebrew Prayer book and they don't need a translation when reading our Holy Torah. It is truly a blessing to be living the dream of my ancestors here in Israel. Everything one does in their daily routines helps the economy, providing jobs from everything from teachers, to shop keepers, to restaurant owners and more.

The post man is Jewish, the store clerk, the bus drivers - all Jewish. I remember what it was like the first time I rode an Israeli bus and sat in the back, seeing all the heads in front of me wearing the most beautiful kippas (yarmulkas) proudly, with not a thought of, "I might stand out" or, "Is it safe?"                                                      
A woman named "Lotta", from Sweden, came to my home to interview me for a Swedish television news show. After drilling me with questions about who has a right to this land, we Jewish Settlers or the Arabs, I kept telling her, "Think Lotta, Jerusalem has only served as the capital for the Jewish people. The Arabs never made it into their capital, nor did any other of the invading nations of the world who captured this region." I continued, "Lotta, who was the leader of the so-called 'Palestinian (Arab) People' before Yasser Arafat? Who was their king, or president, or prime minister? There wasn't one. What was their currency of this so-called 'country of Palestine'  they had before Israel was recognized by the U.N. as a bonifide State? Let's go on the internet and look for it to compare it with the dollar, the yen, the ruble back in the 1930s - you won't find it, because no specific currency existed for this 'country' that never existed. Let's look at the archaeology and see whose civilizations are found here. The archaeological finds all prove that we Jews were here, even before Islam existed in the world. Whose kings are buried here Lotta? You will find our king's graves here. No graves of Arab kings." Before leaving, she told me I gave her much to think about.

So be proud, know that G-d has blessed us, and this Land. G-d makes miracles everyday, sometimes big ones, sometimes ones that people don't notice... until you grow old. It is then that one can fully appreciate the wonder that we even exist today as a People, and that we have returned to The Land after 2,000 years. 

And in spite of our poor leadership, we are still living full, rich lives in this beautiful land of miracles.

40 Years - Jerusalem Liberation

One of the most famous photos from the 6 day war and the liberation of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount/ Kotel.
I don't know who to give credit to for the photo, but these are the same three soldiers today, 40 years later. Amazing!
Jerusalem 40 Years After Liberation.