Anat Malamud - Quiet

As soon as I saw the news notification yesterday morning that an aerial strike had killed Jihad commander Bahaa Abu al-Atta I knew it was going to be a long day. But it turned out to be longer in a different way than what I had expected and everything felt (and still feels) too quiet-like the calm before the storm. But maybe I'm wrong and things will break off as they had in other rounds, as if nothing really happened.

I don't really want to get into the political side of things like why the strike happened when it did, I just feel like sharing how my day went yesterday. I was on my way to work when the siren 'caught' me. It was all very surreal yet not too unusual. After a bit of chaos, the bus driver stopped and we all got out. There wasn't anywhere to really take cover so a group of us crouched underneath a palm tree and waited for the siren to end. It felt kind of ridiculous but standing awkwardly by the bus would have been worse. We saw the white smoke of the Iron Dome, the bus driver waited for everyone to get back as if we had just stopped for a coffee break, and that was that. Right after the siren ended I got a message in my work WhatsApp group that following Home Front Command's instructions the office will be closed for the day. Home Front had ordered all schools and non-essential workplaces to be closed in areas between Gaza and Tel Aviv. This was very extreme because even in 2014 work went on as usual. Instead of getting off at work I continued with the bus until I got to my mom's place. She was supposed to go to an international conference and wasn't sure if it was still happening. It went on as planned, which is a good thing because there really was no need for it to be canceled. About two hours later Home Front suddenly updated that people can actually go to work as long as it's near a safe area, which is almost every workplace in Israel. Luckily my boss updated that they decided to keep the office closed so I spent the rest of the day doing household chores, always with my phone nearby. I refused to turn on the news so once in a while I'd check on my phone to see what was going on. I was so happy to get back to work today. Things went back to the familiar pattern as they always do, where the Center goes on with life as usual while the South takes all of the hits. So far at least 360 rockets and mortar shells have been fired and it seems that things won't calm down until Jihad gets their "victory shot".

I came across this gem by the soulful Anat Malamud while I was browsing through new releases trying to find a song that fit my mood. It immediately felt comforting and just what I needed to hear. As cliche as this sounds, I hope for quiet days ahead.

Quiet in the rooms of the heart
Quiet in the rooms of the heart
To fight, reach, take comfort, redeem
To the corners of the mysteries of the heart
And quiet pain.
Don't look back
All the time ahead
Remember the good
And all that is bad
Should be tossed aside
There's not much choice
In order to stay upright on the way
You need to keep
Your heart-to your lovers
And the body to the light