What Daddy Did in the War

Worry about my soldier son, that's what...

He wanted to join the military engineer corps because he "thought it would be cool to blow things up". When the war started, he was stationed in Ramalla, doing Intifada duty. Last week, he started giving my wife and me vague answers about his whereabouts, then he stopped answering his cell phone altogether for two days. At that point, we knew he was in Lebanon, and we spent most of the time glued to the news, unable to concentrate on anything. On Friday morning, he finally answered his cell phone, and confessed that he had been in Lebanon. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. Wasn't it better that you didn't know?"

I'm not sure. In any case, he was released to start a medics' course today. He may be upset that he's not at the Litani with his friends, but I'm pleased to have him close to home for the next few months. After that - well, may there be no more wars. But, if there are, I'll be proud to have a son fighting for Jewish survival.

Dolmert