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What will I miss?

Our garden is in full summer bloom. Teardrop shaped figs hang in various stages of ripeness on the tree. Birds perch on the branches, stretch out their necks (do birds have necks?), and devour an impressive amount of fruit for such small creatures. Sweet, yellow apricots do not appeal to the birds so we get to enjoy the fruit. The tiny iridescent Palestine Sunbirds hover over flowers, bringing delicacy and beauty wherever they flit.

Our garden in Jerusalem is a little paradise. But I won’t spend all morning here. Tomorrow we leave Jerusalem after a ten-month stay and I have a few more walks to take, and coffee shops to visit, and friends and family to part with. I have a suitcase to pack. I want to watch the sun set over the city and turn the stone buildings a rosy, gold color that I’ve seen nowhere else. I have to stop by the grocery store if only to experience the lunacy one more time. I want to walk around my neighborhood and walk to the city center and to the library and feel the energy that has caused me to experience a stunning combination of anxiety, affection, hope, concern, hope, concern.

People here ask me what I will miss when I return. People at home also have asked me what I will miss. It is difficult to answer this question. I was a visitor here, but I felt at home immediately. The noise and pushing made me crazy. The warmth and openness of family, new friends, and even complete strangers made me comfortable and happy. I saw people working towards cooperation and peace and people working towards something else and people just trying to live their lives under the given circumstances. Hope, concern, hope.

What will I miss when I leave this insane, historical, spiritual, infuriating, magical, beautiful city? Let me think about it a while.

Shalom

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Posted by Ilene Weismehl  at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments 0