for revital

I was all set to complain about our upcoming move. I was. I've been writing it all in my mind for the past two weeks or so, muttering it under my breath like a crazy person. I was absolutely furious over having to pay 25 dollars for one gallon of paint the other day, FURIOUS and I've been all schlumpy in the shoulders over the amount of painting that needs to be done to the new house in the next several days before we move in. I've been feeling sour with no intention of sweetening anytime soon. and I was all prepared to share the sour.

and then I got an email from revital monday morning. back in mid-july, revital sent me the most magnificent color-iffic blue and brown swap package. the day it arrived, we'd been looking at house after house after house and I was feeling fairly sour then, too. I resisted the urge the rip it open and let out a little gasp of surprise when I saw that it had traveled all the way over from israel. israel! a few weeks earlier, I'd sent my blue/brown package to norway. I'm loving this globalness, I thought. with ava right by my side (and breathing excitement down my neck), I carefully opened the brown paper package. oh, we marveled at the goodies inside and the way it was all so lovingly packed. chocolate bars and rain-scented soap from israel! papers and craft supplies! and the handmade items-- magnets made to look like little chocolates (good enough to eat), a sparkly mobile (which ava laid claim to almost immediately), a hand-decorated journal (for my travels, she said), a beaded bookmark (because she noticed my love for books, she said) and my absolute favorite-- a hand-beaded ring (pictured here on ava's hand). I was deeply moved by the amount of thought put into the package, the loveliness of everything and put it all back in the box the way it came. just so I could re-open it again and again.



so we've been trading emails back and forth and all that is going in israel has not gone undiscussed. but this month has been particularly horrible for revital-- bombings all day long, completely unable to go out in the light of day, scared beyond words for her family, her friends, herself. she craves normalcy, friendship, kind words (don't we all). but truly, can you imagine? I'm not about to get all political (as I so easily could)-- it's not my style. I'm just asking: can you imagine what this must be like? because I can't. and I've been seeing it all on tv and reading about it in the newspapers and listening to reports on npr but I'm not sure I really really got it until I read revital's email monday morning. suddenly, my outrage over having to pay 25 dollars for one gallon of paint seemed absolutely ridiculous.

and I feel so powerless. I hear her and I want to help, I want to say something that will help. what she wants more than anything is the normalcy, the friendship. and that is the one thing I am able to give her. it's a drop in an enormous bucket, but it's something.

so, dear revital (if you're reading): thank you. for the most gorgeous package and all the heart and thought that went into it. but also for opening my eyes in the way they needed to be opened.

and everyone else reading-- if you're feeling it-- leave some words for my girl revital. my guess is she could use the diversion. she would welcome the kindness.