What a time to be alive. Ballistic missiles flying from all directions, Iron Dome interceptions at a near-perfect rate, chayalim—our ovdei Hashem—protecting us with every move. We see You, Hashem. We see You like we’ve never seen You before.

My words almost come up empty that I, Sara Katz, an Israeli citizen of just over a year, a wife and mother of two little ones, can be living in the times of Geulah.

Hashem, our Father, our Protector… how are our children really doing?

We watch them run in and out of the miklat like it’s the new normal. Our heart rates jump at the sound of the azhara (warning) blaring on our phones; their little hearts flutter, jumping ten times higher.

And yet, they play. They eat snacks on the concrete floor and fall asleep half dazed, dreaming of a world of play.

One day in our shared building miklat, we watched as a fellow mother from the community handed the kids a wrapped present from “Michael, from Palm Beach, Florida.” (I think that was your name?) All the children gathered around, circle-style, to listen to the note proudly taped to the shiny wrapping paper:

“To my Israeli brothers and sisters, Here are some gifts for you in honor of my bar mitzvah. I hope it keeps you strong and busy during your time in the miklat. Be strong—we love you!”

So too, all the parents gathered around as we played Israeli music and played the classic birthday game, “Pass the Present.” (The game works like this: music plays while the children sit in a circle and pass the present to one another. When the music stops, the child holding the present tears off a layer of wrapping paper to reveal a gift underneath. The music continues until the last gift is unwrapped).

Every child received a gift, and for a moment, you could almost forget we were sitting in our dusty miklat, exhausted, waiting for the message that we could return to the comfort of our homes.

To my three-year-old son, “E”: do you really understand what’s happening in front of your gorgeous eyes? That your sacrifice of missing gan and fun at the park is bringing the very redemption we yearn for? That Beit Hamikdash painting you made in gan? It’s coming… sooner than you realize.

To my one-year-old Sabra daughter, “H”: how you make our entire community of neighbors smile as you waddle around the miklat with the most stunning smile on your face. Unfazed…for now.

Our children, the heroes of our generation. We are so proud of you. You are the reason we keep going. The reason we can breathe. This matzav (situation) will soon be over, and the people of Iran will be free…

And we will be free, too. Free to laugh and cry and explore Eretz Yisrael without any fear of attack. Our heroes, our children, our time is now and it is rapidly approaching.

Thank You, Hashem, for giving me the opportunity to live during these times. And thank you to all the children, our heroes, for continuing to simply be.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)