June 21, 2025 - Day 624 - 8 days into directly fighting IRGC

These 8 days have been enormously stressful. Filled with broken sleep patterns, safe rooms and orange shooting stars (missiles). 

I'm definitely suffering from anxiety. In my current obsessive connection to my cellphone, I attribute it to needing updates from homefront command. My app has worked perfectly this whole war, except for yesterday afternoon. 

I spent a few hours cleaning the house and actively trying to separate from my cellphone. "It's ok," I thought, "I have the app. I don't need to hold my phone in my hand." When the sirens wailed in the afternoon, I didn't get any sort of warning. 

The warnings give us approximately 10 minutes to prepare ourselves. Sirens, in my area, give me 90 seconds to get into a safe room. It's the difference between entering the safe room, panicking or not. Did you have to run or not? 

So this afternoon it was all sirens, but no warnings. I found this deeply disturbing. My sense of security was shattered for a moment. My "control" over the situation rendered disconnected made me feel more raw and exposed than a week of missiles. 

Habits are an important part of the human psyche. It helps us to feel safe and secure. Knowing I have a 10 minute warning is like a life line or a security blanket. Not having it, felt crushing. 

But tonight my phone redeemed itself. At 2:32am a warning notification was sent that the IRGC in Iran launched a volley of missiles towards Israel.. Thank Gd, I got the warning this time giving me time to wake up, grab my bathrobe, and start shutting down the house (closing security blinds, etc). That's when I generally, have seen the missiles tearing through my sky. 

But tonight there were no sirens where I am. Just distant booms and missiles cutting across the sky. But there were warnings, and lately that's where my sense of control comes from. 
The warning. 
A heads up. 
Hey Sarah, wake up, missiles are on the way. 

Praying for the end of the Ayatollahs. 
Praying for a #FreeIran. 

Praying for the people to beat their swords into plowshares and that the world will finally know war, no more. 
Shabbat shalom.

Comments