Who Has Your Back?

“How are you doing?” I asked my friend Enza the other day.

"Oh wow, thank you for asking," she said. "The truth is, I’m all over the place. Overall, I just feel powerless."

Most people I speak to these days feel exactly like Enza: completely overwhelmed, powerless, deeply emotional, horrified, angry, and scared. Those are the emotions friends express, and those are the feelings people are trying to balance, hold, and manage. The images coming out of Israel and Gaza are almost impossible to absorb. The stories of loss aren't heartbreaking, they are heart-shattering and mind-blowing. I feel this sense of shock, overwhelm, disbelief, and fear in pretty much every conversation I've had this week. I understand those who tell me, "I just can't look anymore," and those who say, "I just can't do or think of anything else."