Recovering from my second knee operation. It has been 10 days now and I am mending. It is good to have the experience of the first knee under my belt (or ‘onder de knie,’ (under my knee) as we say in Dutch). I learned a few lessons, like not trying too hard, and putting things in perspective.
I am feeling less sorry for myself than I did before. Partly this is due to the realization that I have nothing to complain about: I have a very comfy place to serve as my recovery base, I have health insurance that pays for most of my expenses, I have a husband who keeps the household running, friends who bring soup and plant daffodils, an icing machine that keeps my knee iced, pain medicine, a good stack of books…the list goes on and on. When reading about doctors operating in Gaza without anesthesia or pain medication I shiver, unimaginable. I have nothing to complain about and it puts things into perspective.
The war in Gaza has made me revisit study books about conflict and what perpetuates it. We should know this by now. Retribution and vengeance have never stopped cycles of violence. On the contrary, they perpetuate them. So why do we keep siding with one party or another, hoping they win (and thus the other loses)? What makes us think that this will help anything other than our own sense of righteousness?
Our Quaker community decided to send a letter to the editors of several local newspapers. A small taskforce drafted the letter. Politics creep in, it is hard not to let that happen. We went back and forth. Eventually we agreed on a letter that is not about who is right, who has been wronged, etc. but rather about the Quakers’ steadfast believe in and commitment to the power of love and compassion. This will compel us listen to each other and remind us of our shared humanity. It is not about Muslims versus Jews or Christians, but rather about land. Land is money, and money allows a lifestyle that those without money cannot attain. There are always people that benefit from the war, and they are invested in encouraging behaviors that will perpetuate the conflict. We should be careful not to fall into the trap of believing the war mongers because our interests are not theirs.
Sylvia's Journal 
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