Israel in Seconds, Minutes And Hours

I find myself for once, lost for words.

I have been giving great thought to what I could write on the occasion of my beloved's 60th birthday and struggling with the words I could use to express my adoration of the country that is Israel?

I know that anything I say won't be able to describe how I feel.

Words are sometimes inadequate when they are needed the most.

I could say that I'm so proud to be a lover of Israel.

I could continue by stating that I am so fortunate to have grown up visiting the country, year after year, decade after decade.

I would then add that my heart only feels in place when I step off the plane at Ben Gurion.

But I would soon find myself descending into a morass of cliches - because the feelings I have for Eretz Yisrael, cannot be vocalised.

So I'll try something different.

If you think of Israel as being 1 minute made up of 60 seconds (you can see where I'm going with this), imagine how wonderful that minute could be.

What about an hour, with each minute representing one year of Israel's existence. Could one single hour's events be as glorious or heartbreaking as the anniversary we are celebrating in a few hours?

To me, Israel is both the minute and the hour.

It is the minute that disappears far too quickly and the hour during whose duration, entire lives are created and lived. I am proud to be reaching Israel's second minute, second hour.

Maybe in the next 60 seconds or 60 minutes, the ratio of joy to pain will be higher? Maybe the next 60 minutes will allow our souls to soar, without worrying that they may sink to the lowest place on earth?

I'm not going to add any more because in the last 60 seconds, whilst reading this you have spent your precious time sharing my deepest emotions - and I can't think of a better way of expressing how I feel right now about this very very special birthday.

Chag Sameach.
Let the festivities commence.